


The Worlds Between Us: A Reylo Story

by ReyBenisCanon



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Dimension Travel, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, POV Rey (Star Wars), Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Resurrection, Reylo Week, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, The Force, The Force Ships It, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 39,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22257214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReyBenisCanon/pseuds/ReyBenisCanon
Summary: Reeling from the events that transpired on Exegol, Rey takes a break from the triumphant Resistance and travels to the desert planet of Tatooine with the intention of saying a final goodbye to the past. However, on Tatooine she finds herself not wanting to leave but instead is pulled towards finding an answer, an answer to a question not yet formed, yet ever-present on her mind. After experiencing a powerful vision of Ben, Rey is led to a clue to uncovering the truth about his whereabouts. Rey's pursuit will take her across the galaxy to find the World Between Worlds where her lost true love, and an epic new adventure, awaits.*Rey and Ben not only deserved a happy ending, there should have been more to their story. I intend to give them more than just a happy ending together.
Relationships: Ben Solo/Rey, Finn/Rose Tico, Kaydel Ko Connix/Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 40
Kudos: 146





	1. The End is the Beginning.

**“It’s important to live life with the experience, and therefore the knowledge, of its mystery and of your own mystery. This gives life a new radiance, a new harmony, a new splendor.”**

**―** **Joseph Campbell,** _**The Power of Myth** _

**“The happy ending of the fairy tale, the myth, and the divine comedy of the soul is to be read, not as a contradiction, but as a transcendence of the universal tragedy of man.”**

**-Joseph Campbell, _The Hero With a Thousand Faces_**

**Planet Tatooine**

**Great Chott Salt Flat, Jundland Wastes**

**35 ABY, Three Months After the Events of TROS**

Rey sat alone in the cool, dusty enclosure that once served as a garage, her brow furrowed as she focused intently on tinkering with the power generator of an old sandblasted Zephyr-G swoop speeder. The subterranean stall was nestled within the ruins of the Lars Homestead, the former home of Luke Skywalker, which long ago had been firebombed and destroyed by Imperial Stormtroopers. It was during that same attack that Luke’s guardians and occupants of the sprawling domicile, Owen and Beru Lars, were killed. The main entryway to the garage had been blasted apart, and over the years the annual sandstorms blew in the coarse golden sands of Tatooine, blanketing every surface of the garage with grit. 

The young woman paused to contemplate her work, and upon glancing over at the swoop’s snapped rear inhibitor, let out a deep breath she realized she was unconsciously holding. BB-8, who had been quietly sitting in the corner of the room while Rey worked, stirred and addressed his mistress with a series of concerned beeps. She cast her eyes towards him, managed a partial smile and shook her head in response. Rey turned her attention back to the vehicle, her mind tangled in thoughts. It was a wonder that the swoop had not already been stripped of its parts by the local Jawa scavengers. She reckoned that any scavengers figured it was not worth the trouble, given that the speeder looked as if it had been broken for generations, a project abandoned long ago. Yet Rey found comfort and a sense of purpose in fixing broken things, or at least from salvaging that which seemed unsalvageable. It kept her mind occupied, especially after all she went through in the time leading up to her arrival there at that abandoned relic of the past.

 _Let the past die,_ he once told her. It seemed like lifetimes ago. 

The thought flashed in her mind before she had the chance to deflect it, and immediately her throat tightened. No matter how hard she tried to distract herself, she couldn’t keep her memories of him at bay. 

It had been nearly two weeks since she arrived at the ruins with BB-8, her sole companion on this journey. She had insisted to the others, namely her friends Finn, Rose, and Poe, that she needed to go alone to Tatooine this once to pay tribute to the memory of the Skywalkers, and was surprised when they let her go without argument. After the destruction of Palpatine and the fall of the First Order, the Resistance, including her small cohort of friends, had been in a state of constant celebration and revelry. She did not review the reports of how the end of the First Order’s tyrannical rule affected the systems across the galaxy but could feel the universal uplifting that rippled throughout the Force as if all living creatures breathed a deep sigh of relief. After Palpatine was defeated, after the threat was gone, she returned to her friends and the Resistance at Ajan Kloss, trying her best to bury her trauma in their jubilant embraces, to wear a mask of joy. Yet despite her best efforts, she could not push past the truths that overtook her every thought. 

In the battle with Palpatine, she lost her life. Yet, Ben came back. He poured his life into her, saving her, and now he was gone.

The memories of the experience would strike her when she least expected it, in the middle of conversations with Finn, while she argued with Poe, as she picked at her meals in the dining hall while Rose happily chatted away, and at night as she struggled in vain to fall asleep. Her memories haunted her every waking moment. She remembered lying on the cold, ashen ground, pain and fatigue coursing throughout her body. She recalled feeling her life force leaving her and the overwhelming sensation of being submerged in icy, bottomless darkness, sinking down, deep down, into nothingness. In those final moments as her vision dimmed and the light around her faded, Rey was alone. Then, after what seemed like an eternity in that space where time did not exist, from deep within that darkness, she heard a voice beckoning softly to her, Ben’s voice, calling her name. She followed his voice until the darkness that swallowed her vision faded into grey, and her sight returned to her, the icy nothingness melting away into an enveloping warmth. The first thing she saw when she returned to life was Ben looking down at her as he held her, firm and protectively in his arms. She would never forget the look of shock and profound disbelief in his eyes as he grasped her, and the gleam of tears that pooled in those same eyes as she reached up and took his hand, _Ben’s hand._

Everything else that followed was a blur in her memory. She remembered saying his name, touching his face, his hair, his lips, the pure exhilaration they shared as they kissed, the feelings of completion and desire, electric and fiery as it coursed between the two of them, blooming and flourishing through their bond. The way he pulled her deeper into their embrace as they held each other. Neither of them wanting to let the other go. When they parted, the joy that filled his eyes as he smiled. His smile, Ben’s smile. The way he studied her face as if it was the last time he would ever see her again. Then, the light fading from his eyes, and his look of utter longing and despair as his smile wavered before he lost consciousness, still clutching her hand as he collapsed. He faded away before her eyes. She felt his presence leave her, their bond which had been forged when they were still enemies, only to be solidified through their mutual tribulations and deep connection to one another, had vanished. Ben had saved her, had given her everything he had left to give. Rey had lost him, one final time. 

It was with this pressing weight upon her heart, heavy yet somehow empty, when she returned to the Resistance. As much as she cherished the company of her friends, of their fervent support and excitement at the vanquishing of their greatest enemies and longtime oppressors, she could never forget the sacrifice that allowed her this second chance at life. So many had laid down their lives in the war, not only Ben but Leia and Luke, the multitudes of Resistance fighters, all the countless innocents who perished in the First Order’s vicious strikes. It was utterly overwhelming, and all Rey wanted now was time to reflect on how she was to move on given these truths, how she was to somehow move on with her life. It is what Leia and Luke would have wanted, and why Ben gave up his life for her. It was for this reason that she came to Tatooine with only the loyal astromech in tow. Despite the love of her friends, they could never understand the full cost of her battle with Palpatine. It was a burden she felt was somehow hers alone to carry. She had to find her own peace and closure on her own time, at her own pace. 

While Tatooine was an arid, dead planet that reminded her of her desolate life in Jakku, Rey felt strangely drawn to Luke’s homeworld, and as she understood, the homeworld of his father before him, the man who was once known as Anakin Skywalker. Rey's journey seemed to end in the same manner that it began, overlooking the rolling sand dunes as they glowed in the sunset with BB-8 by her side, although this time it was two suns that burned before her instead of one. 

Rey’s legs thrummed as she broke free from her reverie, still seated beside the old, broken speeder in the ruined, shadowy garage. BB-8 whirred and chirped once at her, at this point familiar with what he calculated to be bouts of daydreaming. Rey stood up as best as she could, shaking awake her legs and shivering at the prickly sensation that cascaded down her thighs and calves. As she stretched her stiff limbs, she patted off the grains of sand that accumulated in her lap and on her shirt, and somehow in her hair. In the days that followed her arrival to the ruined homestead, Rey took down her three bun hairstyle and opted for a relaxed, low single braid that hung on one side of her head, resting upon her shoulder. She rarely wore her hair down completely, and when she did the last time while looking into a foggy, broken mirror in what was once the washroom of the homestead, she wrinkled her nose at the unfamiliar sight, and quickly pulled her hair back. Rey also opted for a loose, off-white blouse which she tucked into grey Resistance standard-issue slacks. Old habits did persist, however, and each and every day she wore her leather belt and holster with the blaster Han Solo gifted to her. She remembered how casually he handed her the NN-14 blaster on the shore of Nymeve Lake on Takodana, the beautiful, lush planet, what seemed like decades ago. 

“You might need this,” he had told her. She thought of him often. 

Rey also carried with her the lightsaber she crafted for herself shortly after her arrival to Tatooine. She constructed it using sections of her quarterstaff, one of the few remaining artifacts she carried with her from her life on Jakku. The lightsaber was surprisingly lightweight and had a metal hilt with a gear emitter matrix that spun to ignite the electronic components and kyber crystal within. What pleased her the most about the lightsaber was its imperfect, salvaged look, which was intentional, as it paid homage to her early life as a scavenger. She obtained the kyber crystal on Tatooine, of all places, within a giant cavern in the Northern Dune Sea, located to the North of the small city of Anchorhead. The kyber crystal had called to her steadily through the Force since she arrived on the planet, and she had followed its call through Anchorhead, past Mos Eisley and The Great Mosra Plateau to the Great Pit of Carkoon. It was a site that the locals of the area generally avoided out of fear, and once she arrived, she quickly understood why. How exactly she obtained the crystal, and the tribulations she overcame to earn it, though, was a good question, for another time. 

Rey lifted her arms above her head and cupping one palm on top of another stretched her limbs. She gathered the tools together from the mat on the ground where she set them, then walked over and placed them back on the counter where she found them and made her way towards the exit. Stepping over the shattered doorway, she entered the open sandy pit of what used to be the main courtyard, shielding her eyes from the twin suns overhead and looking up towards the sky. Towards the Southeast loomed large thunderhead clouds, and from what she could observe from the movements of the sand above, the wind was picking up speed. From behind Rey rolled BB-8, who paused and shifted his head back to follow her gaze up at the sky, and in response emitted a long, uncertain 

_“Weeeee-weeeoohhh!”_

Rey turned her eyes from the sky and looked down at BB-8. 

“Yes, I think you’re right. Let’s go and see.”

Rey and BB-8 made their way up towards the main entry dome of the homestead, following the narrow path that Rey had carved out through the mounds of twisted wreckage and sand. The dome of the entry was built by hand from pourstone and withstood the decades of neglect, brutal sun, and harsh desert winds. The security access panel had been destroyed during the attack four decades ago, and Rey had sealed the doorway from the inside with a heavy piece of metal panel that she scavenged from the wreckage of the garage door. Grunting with the effort, she pushed off the panel and set it to one side, before pulling open what was left the heavy door, which was still attached at the bottom by a set of heavy, rust-encrusted hinges. 

She stepped out of the doorway and turned to hold the door open for BB-8 as he squeezed his way through the opening, before setting it back to its resting position. Rey then turned towards the direction of the thunderheads, and off in the distance, she observed the telltale wall of an enormous, fast approaching sandstorm. Far beyond the field of scrub brushes, she observed a Jawa hurrying across the vast expanse with his bantha, bearing what appeared to be a heavy load, shuffling behind him. 

Her braid began to flutter with the heavy gusts as she looked out towards the horizon. 

“It’s a sandstorm, alright. BB-8, time to go back inside.”

BB-8 peered up at Rey, concerned, and beeped a question. 

“Yes, I know....I’m going to stay.”

The astromech whistled at Rey in surprise, before settling into a set of dejected beeps. 

At that, Rey looked down towards the crater of the pit and spotted the funnel flowers that lined the crater dancing in the wind, sand spraying and sifting through the sturdy stems like water. The hearty little flowers reminded her of the nightbloomers she used to collect on Jakku.

 _Yes, I will stay,_ she told herself. _I will stay until I have my answer._

At that, she turned back in the direction of the dome, and BB-8 followed. 


	2. The Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Rey experiences an emotion-filled vision of Ben and is paid a visit from her former master, Luke Skywalker.

Harsh winds shrieked overhead as Rey sat concentrating at the low table, squinting as she attempted to decipher a passage from one of the Jedi texts by the flickering light of an old fusion lantern. She took refuge from the storm in one of the homestead’s living areas, which was still somewhat intact as it was nestled deep within the domicile, some distance removed from the violent blasts of sand. The homestead offered a slice of respite from the confines of the Falcon and provided her with a strange sense of familiarity.

The light from the lamp cast a warm glow upon the walls of the room, which reminded Rey of the makeshift shelter she carved out within the fallen AT-AT on Jakku, where she scratched thousands of notches on the walls. Each line represented the days she waited since her parents left her to fend for herself on that dangerous, harsh desert planet. The gentle glow of the lantern also reminded her of something else, something that haunted her tumultuous memories, of the time when she and Ben touched fingers across the galaxy through their bond, when they both saw visions of themselves in their futures. 

Rey studied a portion of the Jedi texts each day since she absconded with all eight of them from the uneti tree on Ahch-To over a year ago. Since then, the majority of her free time was dedicated to painstakingly scouring the texts one by one for answers to the seemingly unending questions that haunted her mind. While she found a great deal of wisdom from the writings she decoded within, the one thing she yearned to know seemed forever out of her reach. As she worked through translating each page of the texts, her hope continued to dim, until she was sure she would forever feel unfulfilled in her quest for the answer. 

The hours slipped by as the sandstorm rampaged outside, and Rey’s eyelids began to droop. Finally, she succumbed to the inevitable, her head slumping down on top of her arms and the texts, as she slipped deep into unconsciousness. Her mind gave way to a powerful vision. 

At first, there was nothing but vast darkness. She heard Ben’s voice, calling out her name as he did before on Exegol when she was overcome by the void, the vast chasm that was death. Suddenly, as quick as a blink, Rey found that she was surrounded by what appeared to be the limitless plane of space, very dark, yet speckled with the dim light of distant stars. She looked down at her body; she was herself, dressed the same clothes she wore that fateful day on Exegol. Rey then shifted her eyes to her feet and saw that she stood on a translucent pathway that stretched on for what seemed like leagues both behind and in front of her. Suddenly overcome with an intense urge that pulled at the core of her, Rey found that she was drawn not to the path behind, but to the path that lay ahead.

Her feet guided her, one foot placed decisively in front of the other, further down the path that lay ahead. As she walked she began to hear voices, at first softly and in the distance, then, after some time, they began to surround her. They were the voices of her friends and acquaintances, of enemies and strangers, echos of words spoken to her throughout her life.

_“Quiet, girl.”_

_“The Force, the Jedi. All of it. It's all true.”_

_“Beep. Beep Beep. Beeeeeeep!”_

_“I will tighten these restraints, scavenger scum!”_

_“Rey, may the Force be with you.”_

“ _The light, it has always been there. It will guide you.”_

_“Reeeeeeyyyyyyyy!!!”_

From directly behind her, close enough to make her hair stand on end, a deep voice spoke. 

“ _Let the past die.”_

She turned to face the voice, her heart pounding furiously in her chest, but he was not there. It was a shadow of the memory from one of their connections, meeting across the galaxy through the Force.

_“Join me...please.”_

His voice again, from directly above her. She looked up, still nothing. 

_“You’re not alone.”_

Again, this time on her right side, a soft murmur. She turned to see only the star-specked space. 

“There are a thousand things I want to tell you, Rey... I wish I had the time.”

His voice was melodic and close, more solid, emanating once again from behind her. At that Rey turned around to see Ben standing on the path in front of her. She emitted a small cry, and immediately her throat tightened as she regarded him. He looked as he did when she last saw him on Exegol. His eyes were dark yet soft, full of emotion and of longing and something that resembled concern. She suddenly realized that her own eyes were full of tears, hot tears that pooled in her eyes and began to spill down her cheeks. She had not cried in a very long time, and it felt as if the spill gates were finally released. 

_“Ben!”_ It was more a sob than anything else. 

She walked a step closer to him and he looked down, locking eyes with her. It _was_ him. It was Ben. 

“This is only a dream, isn’t it?” She breathed as she surveyed his face. Even if it was just a dream, she didn’t care, she wanted to take in every moment of him. Yet, her tears felt real. She could feel the sensation of his presence. This was more than a dream. 

“This is exactly what you need it to be” Ben replied with a slight smile that crept up to the corners of his mouth. 

Rey laughed despite herself and was immediately stunned by her reaction. She didn’t know what led her to laugh. She had never laughed in front of him before. She looked up at Ben and realized that he was now smiling fully at her, a tender, almost shy smile. 

Without hesitating, Rey put her hand up to his face and was surprised to feel her hand make contact with his skin. She brushed her fingers over his cheek and then down to the side of his mouth. He stepped closer to her and reached up, gently gripping her hand as she held it to his face, his other hand slowly brushing up her free arm. She stared into his eyes, mesmerized, and put her other hand behind his head, her fingers threading through his hair, pulling him down into a kiss. She stood on her tiptoes and he pulled her closer to him, one hand gripping her by the small of her back. Their bodies pressed together in a full, almost desperate embrace. Finally, reluctantly, they pulled apart.

“Where have you been? Why haven’t I seen you?” she said, breathlessly.

A realization appeared to cross his face and broke his smile. He looked down for a beat and then locked eyes with her once more.

“Rey, there’s something I need you to know...I-” but his voice was suddenly cut off midsentence. Instantly, Rey was ripped away from the vision. 

_“Come back--!!”_ she yelled as she was jerked awake by the sound of a heavy object falling down in the distance with a clatter.

Her hands shot up to her face, slowly running her fingers through what had been a torrent of tears. She had been crying hard in her sleep. It all seemed so real. _Ben_ felt so real. Her initial daze was interrupted by her sudden awareness of a presence in the room with her, seated at the chair across from her. It was Luke Skywalker. 

His form shone through the Force, dim yet rimmed with light blue and radiant. He was outfitted in his Jedi robes, his long white-streaked hair hung neatly at his sides. Rey in all her exhaustion wanted to completely break her current demeanor and chuckle at Luke’s uncharacteristic neatness, but she managed to not react to his appearance. 

“You look like you have something to say.” He replied, almost defensively. 

“It’s nothing.” She replied, as flatly as she could manage.

Luke breathed a deep sigh, at least he _appeared_ to breathe one as he did not actually breathe. It was mostly to be dramatic, she realized.

“What brings you out here, Rey...Skywalker?”

“It does feel strange to hear that” she admitted, peering down at her hands. 

“Camping out in the ruins of my murdered family’s home on a bleak, desert planet...” he paused to point one blueish finger up towards the sky “...during a time of the planet’s absolute worst sandstorms...” He then raised both eyebrows high up as he regarded her, unblinking. 

“Why are you here, Rey?”

“I’m looking for an answer.”

“To what question?”

“...I don’t know.”

A pause. “I think you do.”

With that she looked up at him, their eyes meeting and studying one another. Rey looked back down, this time at the texts still sprawled out in front of her on the table. 

“Where’s Leia?” she said, her eyes scanning the bound books and scrolls. 

“She’s around... _Don’t change the subject_.”

Luke shot Rey one of his unconvinced looks, and she met his pale eyes once again. 

“I saw him, Luke. I saw Ben. I had a vision of him, just now.” 

“Ah...” 

“That’s all you have to say?” 

Luke stared solemnly at her but did not answer. 

“Where is he? Why is he not with you?”

Again, no answer. Rey was becoming frustrated.

“Is he with Leia?”

Luke closed his eyes and sadly shook his head.

“Why have I not seen him since Exegol? Since I came here? Why isn’t he like...you? A... _er...um._ ”

“A Force ghost?”

“Yes. On Exegol... Ben...he disappeared in front of my eyes. Doesn’t that mean--”

“--That Ben became one with the Force?”

“Yes, that’s right. I read that’s what happens. Although, I couldn’t understand much beyond that.”

“In the Jedi texts?”

“Exactly. It took me a while to find it, but I’ve had time…” Rey hesitated for a moment, then continued. 

“I don’t want questions from you. I want answers, for once.”

“Keep reading, Rey. While they are not page-turners, you will find your answer there, in the texts” he replied with a small smile and his eyes seemed to sparkle. 

Rey regarded him incredulously but said nothing. 

“No one’s ever really gone, Rey.”

“Wha--?” she began, but without a further word, Luke disappeared. 

“Wait!--What do you _mean_?” Rey exclaimed to the spot where Luke sat just a moment before. When she did not receive an answer, she pushed herself up from the table, exasperated. 

“Why can’t you ever just come out with the truth?!” she shouted to the empty air, angrily. 

She picked up the book that sat directly in front of her off of the table and flung it with her full force, hard against the magnetic-ore-infused wall directly across from her. The ancient book fell to the grainy floor, opening to pages near the end of the tome. Rey strode out of the room, huffing to herself, looking to remove herself from the source of her frustration. 

Meanwhile, the light from the lamp flickered over the pages, cascading soft beams, falling across a strange image that was sketched across one of the pages. It was a crude drawing of circles and interconnected lines. There, upon those timeworn, drab pages, lay Rey’s answer. 


	3. The Answer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey learns of the Vergence Scatter from the Jedi texts and knowing that she has her answer, leaves the dusty planet of Tatooine. Her journey takes her to the picturesque planet of Takodana, where Rey intends to reconnect with Maz Kanata to learn more about this mysterious plane. After landing, Rey encounters a shadow from her past when she follows a path she has tread before, deep in the forest near the ruins of Takodana castle.

The following morning Rey awoke bleary-eyed to pressing, eerie silence. She lay in the cot she set up in the far corner of the living area, staring up at the dust as it swirled lazy circles in the air. Waiting for her grogginess to wear off, she realized she could no longer hear the howling winds of the sandstorm. The storm had passed. Rey pushed herself up into a seated position and tucked her feet in towards herself, reflecting on the night before. 

_What did Luke mean, no one’s really gone? Did he mean Ben?_

Rey was wearing a gauzy sleeveless grey tank and realized she had goosebumps running down the length of her arms. She looked down at the scar that was exposed on her right arm, contemplating the jagged lines that resembled two hands reaching out to one another. The armband she used to keep the scar hidden away from the others and their questions had been placed inside a trash compactor shortly after she came back to Ajan Kloss. Although, in all honesty, no one really questioned her about her experience in the events that transpired, not Finn, nor Poe or Rose. After coming back from Exegol, Rey provided them with minimal details of how she defeated Palpatine, keeping her explanation confined to a few sentences or so, and they did not pry further. 

Yet, Rey found she was not surprised and did not blame them. They all attained their own happy endings, more or less, and were caught up in their bliss. Finn found his place in the story as a hero of the Resistance, Poe found his place in the Resistance as a leader. Rose witnessed the fall of the First Order, the oppressors who brutalized her homeworld and its people and brought about the death of her sister, Paige. Everyone else seemed to have attained their own justice and fulfillment. Perhaps her friends all thought Rey was happy as well, yet they did not know her full story and she never told them. This truth haunted her constantly, and because of it, she felt more and more alone with each passing day. 

_People keep telling me they know me. No one does._

After a moment, Rey shook herself awake and stood up wearily. She pulled on her light blouse, slacks, and soft leather boots, this time adding to her attire a dark brown utility vest she kept packed away since she landed on the planet, which she slipped on over the blouse and left unfastened. She gathered her sun-streaked brown hair into a loose, messy single bun, and using her canteen washed off her face and rinsed out her mouth, spitting out the water unabashedly in a nearby corner of the room. As she dabbed her face dry with a small towel she kept tucked away in her pack, she looked over at the table and the books that lay on top, still open from the night before. 

Rey recounted her conversation with Luke, his vague advice and her resulting anger. At that, she cast her eyes down at the floor and saw the Jedi text she flung laying open on the ground. She cocked her head and furrowed her eyebrows as she spotted the curious image that lay upon the pages. It was a drawing she had seen during her initial perusals of the texts, yet seeing the sketch once more, she felt drawn to it like never before. She walked over and scooped up the book, and took a seat at the table. Hunching over, she scoured the pages, concentrating intently. 

The pages focused on a sole topic that was at first difficult to translate. Rey concentrated for some time before uttering out loud the word that appeared most often:

_“Vergence?”_

As she read, she learned that these so-called vergences were points at which the Force was especially concentrated, where its presence was observable and manipulatable by those who are Force-sensitive. There were different types of vergences that were thought to exist. Her eyes jumped to a short statement that centered underneath a drawing, describing a mystical plane of sorts, that served as a means of connecting these points or vergences within the Force through time and space.

From the statement, a set of words stood out: 

_“The...Vergence Scatter?...”_ she translated slowly, out loud to the sandy air, taking in the words as if each were brimming with answers. 

She suddenly felt a wave of recognition cascade over her but did not understand why. It was strange, seeing those words and the drawing, so strange, in fact, that the feeling of being drawn towards something began to overwhelm her. Rey sat there for what seemed like hours. Finally, after re-reading the group of words scrawled under the image on the page, she shut the book and rose to her feet. BB-8, who was sitting nearby, watching Rey with interest, beeped a question. 

“Come on BB-8, we’re leaving.”

***

It was not an easy feat piloting the Falcon by oneself. However, Rey had done it many times before, even under intense pressure on Jakku when she and Finn were attempting to escape with the First Order hot on their heels. This time, there were no enemies to flee from, no one left to pursue her in a daring escape. It was something that took getting used to and she still found she could not help but feel a rush of adrenaline whenever she entered the well-worn cockpit of the Falcon. 

After settling herself in the pilot’s seat, Rey powered up the freighter and they ascended, slowly and steadily at first. Then, with an explosive burst of force, the old Corellian ship shot upward into the sky, leaving behind the desert planet and its dirt-ridden atmosphere. With a brief glance back at Tatooine’s arid, desolate landscape, and at the vast flat area where the ruins of the homestead stood, Rey nodded once to herself, engaged the ship’s hyperdrive, and the Falcon shot full speed through hyperspace. 

The Falcon cruised in hyperspace, skimming across the Outer Rim of the galaxy, its heading the far reaches of the Mid-Rim, within the Tashtor sector territories towards the verdant planet of Takodana. Luke told Rey she would find her answer within the texts, and she was certain she found it. Yet, it did little to provide her with a means to understand that answer. If there was anyone she knew in the whole galaxy who would help to point her in the right direction, it was Maz Kanata. Since the day Rey first met Maz, along with Han and Finn, Rey sensed Maz knew and understood more than she let on. It was worth the trip to see if Maz could help; Rey could not go back to the Resistance and the others now. Not when she knew, deep down with an insatiable yearning, that she was on the verge of discovering the truth.

After the defeat of Palpatine and the fall of the First Order, Maz returned to her homeworld of Takodana to begin rebuilding her beloved lakeside castle, which fell to the First Order’s attack a year ago. It had been a few months since Rey saw Maz, after Maz departed from Ajan Kloss with little more than a wave goodbye and a small, sly smile. 

As she waited in the cockpit, curled up in the pilot’s seat with the blueish tunnel of hyperspace glimmering overhead, Rey fixated upon the pages of the Jedi text and the scant information provided about the Vergence Scatter. Her comprehension of the ancient letters and words came from what she learned many years ago while she was a young girl and teenager, through accessing the old Y-Wing interface she used in the AT-AT on Jakku to study alien and droid languages, maps of the galaxy, as well as the schematics of imperial and rebel ships. 

Rey continued to focus on the text. It was ancient and difficult to distinguish between the scrawled, handwritten characters. She began to sound out a few more words before she heard the chime of the Falcon’s Chedak subspace radio. Looking at the monitor she saw it was Finn, hailing her, and she breathed a deep sigh. Earlier, when Rey first boarded the Falcon after many days of leaving it neglected on Tatooine, she noticed she missed a slew of hails over the weeks since she had been there. The calls were not just from Finn, but also Rose and Poe, the latter most likely assuming she had crashed the freighter, given their usual contentious discourse. It was a wonder that none had come seeking her out; perhaps they knew Rey needed time and space to be alone, or perhaps they knew she could take care of herself. She did defeat Palpatine, after all. 

The others knew Rey destroyed Palpatine and knew also that Kylo Ren had perished at some point during the skirmish. None knew the full story, though, how Ben had forsaken his dark alter persona, Kylo Ren, how he sacrificed his life to save her, to bring her back from death. It broke Rey’s heart living with the realization that her friends would never know the whole story. Though she loved her friends with her whole being, she knew they would never be able to accept the truth of Kylo Ren’s redemption. Kylo Ren died, and Ben Solo lived for a short time after, long enough to help her save the Galaxy and her life. Not only this, but she knew her friends could never accept the fact that she was the granddaughter of Palpatine. It still made her shudder uncomfortably at the thought, and she would push it deep down within herself. 

The incessant beeping of the electronic hail broke Rey’s brief reverie, and she turned towards the control panel and activated the transmission. 

“Rey! Where have you been? Are you okay?!” It was Finn’s voice, drenched in concern.

“Hey Finn...I’m fine,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Fine?! We’ve been trying to reach you for days.” A long pause, then an audible sigh. “Are you still on Tattooine?”

“No, I’ve just left.”

“Great! You’re on your way back then.” he chirped hopefully. 

Rey hesitated, took a deep breath, and leaned back in the seat with her hands behind her head, peering up at the blue space outside the window, then continued.

“No...I have one more place I need to go.”

“Oh...okay…?”

Even through the radio, Rey could sense Finn’s panic rising. 

“I have...a lead I need to follow. I’ll be back soon.”

A moment of hesitation, then “...You’re not going back to Jakuu, are you?”

Rey laughed a little at that. “No, Finn. I’m not going back to Jakku.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” a pause. “We’ve been worried about you Rey. Rose, especially.” 

Inwardly, though she did not say it, Rey knew he was exaggerating. Finn usually did all of the worrying about her, to be honest.

When Rey did not answer him, he pressed on.

“Then, where are you going, Rey?”

She hesitated a long moment, then spoke, choosing her words carefully.

“I found something. Something in the Jedi texts. I’m going to Takodana to speak with Maz...I need to see if it’s true.”

“Okay, I get it, I think....” he said quietly. 

Rey didn’t know what more to say. Thankfully, he did not question her further.

“Be careful, Rey. Please...look out for yourself.”

“Thanks, Finn. I’ll be back soon. Do you mind telling the others?”

“I’ll do that.”

Rey nodded, then feeling short of breath she said “...Bye Finn.”

“Bye Rey...”

With that, she ended the transmission, surprised by the painful lump that began to rise in her throat. 

***

Less than an hour later, the Falcon exited hyperspace with a burst that violently shook its frame; just beyond, gleaming like an emerald gemstone was the planet of Takodana. As she entered the plant’s orbit and guided the freighter closer towards the surface, Rey sat transfixed in her seat as her eyes roamed across the planet’s landscape. It was a lush, attractive world with thriving, foggy primordial forests and marshlands, rolling hills and sprawling mountain ranges, all teeming with diverse flora and fauna and shimmering bodies of freshwater. Maz’s homeworld was a place that pulsated with life and the presence of the Force. In all her life, it was the greenest planet Rey ever laid eyes upon. 

Rey guided the Falcon down to a clearing that bordered the glassy fresh waters of Nymeve Lake and powered down the freighter. After gathering her pack, blaster, and lightsaber, and instructing BB-8 to hang back and watch the ship, Rey made her way down the Falcon’s ramp and took a moment to absorb the gorgeous sight that lay before her. A gentle breeze blew across the picturesque lake, stirring her hair playfully, and she shuttered her eyes for a moment and breathed in deep. She never thought she would find herself here again, not after all that happened, and she wanted to appreciate each extra moment of this small pleasure that was afforded to her. It was an experience she never thought she would take in again in all her life. 

Opening her eyes, from where she stood, Rey could see the remnants of Maz’s castle, seated like a small mountain across the sparkling lake. The ancient and ruined castle was far from its former glory, yet Rey could make out the faint sounds of hammering and stonework, and of shouts of the workers as the fortress was slowly being rebuilt. The castle had served as Maz’s home and hideout for a thousand years, and despite all that it endured, one day, it would be made whole again. Rey stood there, staring across the water as her mind surged with thoughts when all of a sudden she felt as if she had been struck with a strange sensation that pulled at the innermost core of her. She turned in the direction of that feeling; it came from across the lake, resonating from deep within the forest. Without thinking, Rey began to walk towards it. 

She found a worn footpath that closely followed the perimeter of the lake, and after the span of half an hour found herself entering the deep realm of the forest, close to the castle. Though it had been more than a year, Rey found she recognized this area of the forest, as she had been there before. The screeches of convors and buzzing of insects echoed overhead and all around her, and she found herself following a pathway that led into a short and narrow and fern-covered canyon. As she walked, she spied the scorch marks from her blaster that permanently marred the jagged rocks of the canyon’s walls. 

_This is where he came after me…_

Rey trekked the short distance to the end of the canyon and hoisted herself up and out of it, before scampering down a short grassy hill. At the bottom of the hill, she found herself in a small clearing that she recognized from the memories that ceaselessly haunted her. It was the place where she first met Ben, _no_ , rather, _Kylo Ren_. 

Rey circled the clearing for a moment, peering up at the swaying trees and their leaves that fluttered gently above her before settling down to rest at a mossy log for a moment, reflecting on the memory. There growing on top of the log was a small bloom of dainty white flowers. She plucked a few and breathed in their mild, sweet fragrance, before dropping her hands to rest her lap. She sat looking down at her lap and reminisced for a moment, wondering why she felt so drawn to this spot when she was startled by a faint whisper that brushed across her ear, soft and caressing.

_Rey._

“What?”

Rey’s eyes shot up and scanned the clearing. She looked in the direction of where the castle lay, towards the west, but saw nothing.

 _Rey._

Something moved in the corner of her eye and Rey turned around towards the small hill. At that moment, her heart seemed to stop, and her breath caught harshly in her throat. Ben, no, Kylo Ren stood there in the clearing with her, masked and head shrouded with a hood, exactly as he did the day they first met. He stood without speaking and regarded her, and she realized with a start that his mask was unmarked, not cracked with veins of red where it had been repaired when she last saw him wear it. Rey shot up from the log and the small flowers that were piled in her lap fell to the ground.

“Ben?” she uttered, using his true name. 

Kylo Ren angled his head, regarding her, and abruptly extended his hand towards her. Rey’s whole body clenched and froze; just like before, she could not move, he held her with the Force. Without a word he approached her, looking her up and down, and moved closer, his hand now held close to her face. She could feel the heat emanating from his body, she realized and her cheeks flushed, but quickly tucked the thought away. 

“The girl I've heard so much about.” his deep modulated voice menacingly crooned. 

Everything was playing out almost the same way as it did before. However, as his mind entered hers, this time, she was prepared. While Kylo Ren sifted through her memories of her lonely life on Jakku, flashing through images of her running through the halls of her AT-AT with her handmade doll clutched in her arms, she stopped him, shutting him off and out of her mind. 

“Ben--stop this, please.” 

He paused, seemingly startled, and Rey found she could not stop herself from pushing back into his own mind. Immediately she recalled her memory of their kiss, of his smile and the way his eyes lit up after they parted. She pushed it deep into his mind, letting him see it as clearly and solidly as she could conjure. 

At that, Kylo Ren stopped and let his hand fall to his side. She realized his breathing had quickened and he was shaking. She felt him release his grip on her body, and she stumbled back but did not fall. From beneath his mask, she sensed that he regarded her intensely.

 _“Who are you?”_ he breathed, through the voice modulator a deep rumble. 

“It’s me, Ben. It’s Rey.”

“...Rey?”

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out loudly from behind her. Rey jumped and twisted around to see the short, small and begoggled Maz Katana entering the clearing. 

“Maz!” Rey uttered, then turned back around but found that Ben was gone. 

Maz ran up to Rey, huffing and out of breath.

“You were talking to him, Han Solo’s boy, weren’t you?”

“Maz--I--” Rey began, then hesitated, not sure whether or not to tell her the truth. Then, in a moment of reckless abandon, Rey allowed the words to flow out of her like a tidal wave.

“I came here to see you, and I felt drawn here, to this very spot. And then... _I saw him._ It was like he was really there. Just like the first time--”

“You had a vision of him.” Maz spat out, cutting her off, still working to catch her breath. Maz then narrowed her eyes up at Rey, examining her curiously. 

“It’s not the first time, is it?”

Rey hesitated for a moment. Her eyes began to well with tears. It was unlike her to cry, yet now she could not help herself “...How did you know?”

“I know many things, Rey. Though I’m no Jedi, I know the Force. I know why you are here.”

Rey felt relief over not having to explain herself.

“You know how I can find him? How to find the Vergence Scatter?”

“Rey, believe it or not, there is a reason why you are here, drawn to this very spot. There is a reason why you keep seeing him. You are still connected to him through the Force, and through time and space, as he is still connected to you.”

Rey felt a rush of emotions flow through her, and she allowed herself to think of Ben. 

“He told me once that we are a force dyad.”

“...Yes, that is right.”

“You knew, Maz?”

Maz nodded her head, sadly. “Yes Rey, dear child. I did.”

“But how?”

“Rey, as I told you before, I know the Force. I’ve been well acquainted with it for nearly a millennia. 

“So you know about the Vergence Scatter?”

“Yes, I know what it is. It is known by another name. _The World Between Worlds_.” She grabbed Rey’s hands and continued. “I know of another who had journeyed to and returned from this place. She was a good friend.”

Rey regarded Maz, a puzzled look overtaking her face. Maz kept her watery eyes fixed on the young woman. 

“Rey, what you seek may be in a place you least expect. It may be on paths you have already tread. You should know, you already have the answer to your question.”

“Maz, how do I find this World Between Worlds?... How do I find Ben?”

Maz shook her head slightly, sighed, and gripped Rey’s hands tighter. 

“Where is the first place you look when you have lost something?”

Not being able to help herself, Rey sighed with exasperation and hung her head. 

“Is this a riddle?”

“No, it’s a simple question, with a simple answer.”

“Where is the first place I look?.... Well...in the same place...I lost..it….” Then, a look of realization swept over her face. “Exegol? There is a vergence on Exegol.” Rey whispered.

At that, Maz gave her a small, wise smile. Her golden-brown eyes seemed to glow at Rey.

“It is a pathway, Rey. It leads to what you seek.”

“It leads to Ben?”

“Rey, you must understand, if this is the path you choose, there’s no coming back. You must proceed forward, never back. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I think I do.”

“There, you have your answer.” Maz gave Rey’s hands one last squeeze, then let them go. 

Rey nodded her head and looked back at the place where she last saw Kylo Ren. _Ben_. Maz watched her, and an unreadable expression splashed across her face. 

“Please, be safe Rey. It will not be easy, you must know this.”

At that, Rey looked back at Maz, nodding her head slightly. 

“Thank you, Maz,” Rey replied and began to walk back in the direction of the small hill and the canyon that lay beyond. When Rey reached the top of the hill she took a moment to look back one last time at Maz. Maz gave Rey a warm smile, and her eyes appeared to sparkle playfully. 

“I am certain, Rey, that you will find what you are looking for.”

Rey nodded once, smiled broadly, and turned back into the forest, in the direction of the lake and where she left the Falcon. 

Rey had her answer, she knew what she had to do. Now, it was time to say goodbye to her friends. 


	4. The Boy and the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey leaves Takodana for the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss to say one final farewell to her friends. During her journey on board the Falcon, she encounters an oddly familiar young boy, a meeting that leaves her shaken to her core. After arriving at Ajan Kloss, Rey reunites with her friends and finally reveals the truth of her past experiences to Finn.

When Rey returned to the Falcon, BB-8 was waiting for her, peering down at her from atop the boarding ramp. The droid whistled and beeped at her, asking if she was ready to depart.

“Yes, BB-8, we’re going back to Ajan Kloss.”

BB-8 swiveled and spun around cheerfully, emitting his excitement in a flurry of happy beeps. Despite having offered to accompany Rey on her mission, he did miss the others, especially Poe and D-O, and he missed the sense of consistency each day held. For BB-8, back with the Resistance, there were established tasks that he prided himself on completing. Now that they were returning to the base, as BB-8 processed, he would finally be put back to work and help Rey and the others. Perhaps then, back at the base with the others, his Mistress would be happy. 

However, unbeknownst to BB-8, Rey did not intend to stay at the Resistance base. The thought that she would soon have to break this news to everyone was a weight on her mind. It was news Rey knew no one would take lightly, and she was mentally preparing herself for the difficult conversation that lay ahead.

After sealing the hatch and making her way to the cockpit, Rey sunk down into the frayed pilot’s seat and set about flicking switches, double-checking gauges and powering up the Falcon. She stole one last look through the cockpit’s grimy windows at the splendor of the landscape that surrounded them. Rey took a deep breath and realized with a creeping sadness that this would most likely be her last time seeing Takodana, and she wanted to commit it fully to her memory; the sight would be something she would carry with her always. After allowing herself a moment, Rey nodded once to herself and slowly guided the ship off of the grassy clearing and upwards into the sky, through misty clouds, before jolting full speed ahead into the dark, twinkling depths of space. 

Shortly after leaving the planet’s atmosphere Rey engaged the hyperdrive, setting the course for Ajan Kloss, the jungle-ridden moon where the Resistance carved out their hideout. After ensuring their route was locked on and that all systems were functional, Rey rose from the pilot’s seat and exited the cockpit. She followed the length of Falcon’s corridor through the main hold until she reached the crew quarters, where she kept her pack and other personal effects. The quarters were lightly furnished and included an extra-wide bunk and adjoining walk-in closet. Rey reckoned that at some point in the freighter’s long history the closet held rows and rows of fine clothing. Now the closet served as a storage area for crates of supplies and greasy spare parts, the latter of which were needed frequently. 

Rey lifted her pack from the ground where she left it propped up against the bunk and dug through its contents. She pulled out the Jedi text that held the passage about the Vergence Scatter and set it on the small table that stood pushed against the corner of the room. Reaching into her pack once more, Rey pulled out a bound leather journal and a thin, sharpened charcoal pencil. She kicked off her boots and sat on the bed, propping herself up against the wall. She thumbed through the journal’s crisp, handmade pages to a blank page. 

Rey kept the small journal with her since she left Jakku. It had been her own way of chronicling her personal journey, a journey not many knew she endured. At first, she began recording information in the journal with the intention of leaving it on Jakku for someone else to discover. Back then, she hoped one day it would help some poor abandoned soul piece together a living on that desolate planet, the same way she did in her youth. However, as time passed, Rey came to terms with the fact that she would not be returning to Jakku again. There was nothing, and no one, there for her anymore. 

Over time, the journal transformed into her writings of everything she experienced after meeting Finn, Han, Leia, the rest of the Resistance, and Ben. She found at times it was difficult to articulate the events of her life in a way that left her satisfied. She hoped she portrayed the people she wrote about, and the events that transpired, in a manner that did them justice. Writing in the journal was Rey’s way of documenting the truth, of writing the story the way it truly happened. Now that she knew of the path that lay before her, she had plans for the journal, and for the story that lay within. She only had a bit more to write down before she felt it would be complete, and especially wanted to finish her thoughts before arriving at Ajan Kloss. 

Rey stopped writing for a moment, consumed by thought and absentmindedly resting the end of her pencil on the tip of her nose, when she heard an odd sound coming from the corridor. She slowly set the pencil down and turned her heard in the direction of the doorway. 

_That sounded like a voice, but that can’t be_ , she thought to herself. 

“BB-8?” she called out, raising her voice slightly, but did not receive a reply. 

Her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest. The Falcon was an old, worn ship, and Rey was used to bouts of strange sounds. Yet, the sounds she was used to hearing were mechanical in nature, nothing like this. She listened for another moment, then her breath caught in her throat when she heard the noise again; this time, she heard it clearly. It was the light, airy sound of a small child’s laughter, echoing along the corridor and headed her way. 

“Dad! Dad, where are you?!” the child’s voice called. 

The voice was closer now, now coming from directly outside the quarters, and she could hear the pattering of small feet approaching. The hair on the back of Rey’s neck stood on end and she froze on the bed.

Just then, a little boy, around four or five years of age, burst through the doorway, sliding on the floor and skidding to a stop in the middle of the room. His black hair was tousled and pointed in all directions and his large, dark eyes widened at the sight of her. Rey shot up to her feet, dropping the journal and pencil to the ground with a clatter. The little boy stared up at Rey, his mouth hung open and a look of confusion spread across his face. 

“Hello-- Who are you?” he asked her. 

Rey stared at him, incredulous. For a moment she stood in place, unsure of what to do or say. It was as if all of her senses were thrumming. 

_This is not possible...is it?_ She thought to herself, as she searched the boy’s face. He was much younger than Ben, his face brimming with youth, free of the scars and the shadows that life inflicted over time. Yet his eyes, those were _Ben’s_ eyes. They were eyes she would never forget. 

“H-Hello…” she stammered, then swallowed hard. “I’m Rey.”

“Rey?” he repeated slowly, looking her over, then looking past her and around to the room and closet before focusing his large, inky eyes back on her. 

_Yes, they are the same eyes. But it can’t be, it can’t be him. It’s just not possible._

She couldn’t help but think of the vision she had on Takodana. 

_Could it be?_

“Who are you? Where’s dad?” the boy asked her, his face still reflecting his confusion.

Rey could not help the pool of tears that began to form in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She knelt down to meet his eyes and did her best to address him with a calm, neutral tone, at least, as much as she could manage. There must be some reasonable explanation for this, she told herself. It’s just a coincidence that he looks like Ben. This little boy must have somehow snuck past BB-8 back on Takodana and stowed away on the ship without their knowledge. 

“Are you lost? How did you end up on this ship?... Are you from Takodana?” She asked him, her voice just above a whisper. 

“Lost? No...this is my ship. Well, it’s my dad’s ship. It’s the Millenium Falcon. You know, the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs?” he explained with an obvious display of pride. 

“Your dad’s ship,” Rey repeated. Her voice sounded hoarse and far away. 

“Yes, his name is Han Solo.” The little boy grinned, flashing his teeth. 

Rey froze. Her breath stopped in her throat. 

“I-I beg your pardon?” she finally uttered, shaking her head. 

The little boy only angled his head and stared back at her, unsure of how to respond to this strange woman who stood where his dad should have been. 

Rey studied him, then decided she had to know for certain.

“What--what is your name?” she asked him, speaking slowly, doing her best to keep her tone even and devoid of emotion. The little boy considered her for a moment, then replied. 

“My mom said I shouldn’t tell strangers my name, but I’ll tell you.” he shifted his weight and looked away from her. 

“I’m Ben. Ben Solo.” a shy smile fell across his face, and he held out his hand towards her, a welcoming gesture.

Rey’s hands shot up to her mouth and she stifled a sob. She couldn’t help her reaction, but she didn’t know what else to do. Ben pulled his hand back for a moment, a look of concern spread across his face, and he moved closer to her. 

“Miss Rey? Are you okay? Why are you crying?”

Rey shook her head at him and once again met his eyes, but found she could not answer. He gave her a warm smile. 

“Don’t be sad, Miss Rey. I’ll be your friend.”

At that, young Ben reached out for Rey’s hand to hold it in an effort to console her, but his small hand passed through hers like smoke. She watched as it happened and gasped. She shot her eyes back up to look at him, but in a blink, he was gone. 

Overwhelmed, confused, and overcome with emotions, Rey dropped to her hands and knees and began to weep.

***

  
  


Several hours later the Falcon jarred out of hyperspace and made its descent towards the tropical moon where the Resistance made its home. The compound was hidden within a massive cave system in the sweeping, misty mountains of the Klosslands, nestled behind thick groves of humid rainforest. The Falcon swooped down, skyrocketing towards the surface, then swiftly curved up and skirted the treeline, briefly skimming the tops of the trees. 

Rey concentrated as she guided the Falcon toward the base, her eyes still swollen and rimmed with red as she monitored their speed and they closed in on the marker she set on the navigational system. The chime of the radio sounded, and she engaged it with a flick of a switch; Poe’s voice filled the air. He did nothing to mask his annoyance, which was palpable through the transmission. 

“Welcome back Rey. Falcon’s still in one piece?” 

“Roger that... General Dameron.” She could hear him grunt a laugh at that.  
“BB-8’s ok? Nothing’s bent?”

At that, BB-8 chirped his acknowledgment from behind her.

“He’s fine, Poe.”

“Welcome back, you two.” Poe returned, pause briefly, then spoke more formally “Falcon cleared for approach, hangar three. We’ll see you in a minute.”

“Yeah, roger that,” she said and ended the transmission. 

When Rey and BB-8 exited the Falcon, Chewie and Poe were already there, approaching from the other end of the hangar. Truthfully, it was closer to a cave than a hangar, but it served its purpose well. Rey trotted over to them and embraced Chewie, while BB-8 rolled over to Poe and they happily exchanged hugs and excited chatter.

Pulling her back to check for any injuries, Chewie then belted out a greeting to Rey and patted her enthusiastically on the shoulders. She laughed, realizing she had missed him and his unexpected humor, then turned her attention over at Poe. He stood up from BB-8 and met her eyes, putting his hands on his hips, then gave her a small grin and a nod.

“It’s good to have you back, Rey. We were beginning to worry about you..”

“So I’ve heard...I didn’t mean to have you all worry. I’ve been...sorting out some things.” It was the best she could say, for now.

“I get it, Rey, you don’t have to explain,” Poe said.

Rey nodded her head once towards Poe, remembering again his new status as one of the Generals of the Resistance, a role he shared with Finn, who had also become a General during the war. 

_The Resistance_ , she thought, the word rolling around in her mind. Now that the war was over, Rey realized, there would be a need for the Resistance to take on a new form, to transform into something that would help the galaxy move forward and rebuild. Perhaps Poe and Finn would be the ones to lead them all.

“Where’s Finn and Rose?” Rey asked, interrupting her own thoughts and looking behind them towards the doorway. 

“Oh, they’re on their way,” Poe replied, and Rey thought she saw a playful shimmer in his eye. 

_So they’re together,_ Rey couldn’t help but realize. 

She remembered that Finn and Rose had been spending more and more time together before she left for Tatooine. Now with the war behind them, perhaps they realized that they shared a great deal in common with one another. Rey was happy for them, happy that they found their peace together. It was what they both deserved. 

“I’m going to head to my quarters and rest,” Rey said. “ Would you mind telling them I’ll check back with them later?”

“Sure.” Poe hesitated a moment, considering her. “Rey... are you okay?”

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“It’s nothing. Or, maybe it’s nothing. You just seem...different. Like there’s something important you want to say.”

“We’ll talk later, Poe. I promise.” Rey said, and looked away, smiling and nodding at Chewie before turning to walk away. 

She walked up into the long, dimly-lit corridor to her quarters, which was a simple, narrow room with a bunk that had been carved from the cool, stone walls of the cave. Connected to the room was a small refresher and closet, where she kept her personal belongings and a few changes of clothes. Rey took some time to clean up, happy to use a refresher with piping hot water, then dried herself off and put on a simple shift before crawling under the sheets of the bed. She was asleep only a moment after her head rested on the pillow. 

***

Rey slept for several hours. This time, she did not dream and when she awoke she found herself more refreshed than she had felt in a long while. After shaking herself awake and focusing her vision, she got up and changed into a pair of navy blue pants, adorned with a red striped than ran up the length of her legs, as well as a matching cropped blue vest. She left the vest unfastened, and underneath wore a sheer cream-colored tank. She reattached her leather belt and holster. Even here, surrounded by the Resistance, she didn’t take any chances. She then plaited her hair into an intricate braid that cascaded down to rest upon on her right shoulder. Before leaving, Rey double-checked her pack to make sure that the Jedi texts and her journal were still inside, then threw the strap over her shoulders and made her way towards the door. 

Rey left her quarters and headed in the direction of the base’s center of command. If Poe, Finn, and Rose weren’t there already, someone would at least know where they were. As she walked her eyes glided over the walls and flickered around to take in the rooms and smattering of people around her. For reasons she could not define, Rey always felt out of place on the Resistance base. Perhaps it was because she never had formal military training, although she knew what she needed to in order to survive. Part of her longed to return to a simple life, not back on Jakku, but somewhere where she could settle down and rest her mind and her spirit for a while. A place she could call home. 

At the end of the corridor, she found the command center, and after entering saw Finn and Rose across the room seated close to one another, quietly discussing a map that lay lit up on the panel before them. Rey noticed that they sat so close together the side of their hips and legs were touching. Rose noticed Rey standing at the opening of the room before Finn did, and called out to her.

_“Rey!”_

Rey smiled at her as Rose ran over to greet her. Finn looked up at Rey, a happy, yet distant look spread across his face. 

“Hey, Rose--” Rey stammered as Rose pulled her into a tight hug. 

“You’ve been gone for a while, Rey. Are you okay? Where were you anyway?” Rose began.

“It’s a long story, but I’m fine. There were...some places I ended up visiting. That and...some people I had to say farewell to.”

“Oh, Rey. I’m sorry, I just was worried that something happened to you, that’s all. We all were worried.”

This pulled at Rey’s heart. She loved her friends and wanted what was best for them. She never wanted to cause them stress. When Rey left, she told them she was taking a trip to gather together the loose ends that needed tying up. She never expected things would evolve as dramatically and rapidly as they did. It hurt Rey to think of leaving them, but it was something she knew she had to do. 

A moment later, Poe entered the room, engrossed in a conversation with Lieutenant Connix. He was smiling at Connix about something she had just said when he looked up and saw that Rey had returned.

“Ah, Rey. There you are. I hope you were able to get some rest.” he said sincerely, which surprised her. 

“Yes, I did...Thanks, Poe.”

“I don’t mean to butt in on your reunion, but I need to borrow Rose for a moment,” he said, glancing between Rey and Finn. 

“It’s good to have you back Rey, we’ll catch up later,” Rose said, then she turned to Finn. “See you tonight, Finn.”

Finn’s eyes widened and his eyes met Rose’s. He smiled, looked down for a moment, then fixed his eyes back on hers once more.

“Yeah, see you tonight Rose.”

With that Rose joined Poe and Connix, and together they walked to the other corner of the room towards a holoprojector that was displaying several projections of Resistance ships. When they left, Finn and Rey looked at one another. 

“Are you hungry Rey?” Finn asked, attempting to chip away at the uncomfortable silence. “We could go grab some lunch or--”

“--Actually Finn, I was wondering if we could talk,” she said. 

“Yes, of course, we can talk. I can talk, you can talk,” he said, a little awkwardly. 

She smiled at that. “It’s good to see you, Finn. I hope you weren’t too worried about me.”

“I know you can handle yourself, Rey, we all know that. But it doesn’t mean that we don’t care about you.” Rey couldn’t help but smile a little at that. 

“Are you up for a walk?” she asked.

“Sure, yes, let’s go, walk and talk,” Finn said, a little nervously. 

Together they left the command center, following a narrow passageway until they reached a heavy metal door that exited out into the jungle. At first, they walked for a while in silence, following the footpath that the members of the Resistance used to reach the clearing where the remainder of the forces camped. Since the First Order had been destroyed, the Resistance felt comfortable enough to camp out under the open sky. For more than a year they had been confined to working and resting in the cramped walls of the base; finally, they could stretch their limbs. Rey and Finn strode through the encampment until they reached its western edge, where the trees grew sparser and the sunlight filtered through in glowing beams. 

“Rey...were you able to find what you needed back on Takodana? Was Maz able to help?”

“Yes, I was, and yes, she did help.” 

“Oh, good. I mean, that is good, right?” he asked tentatively. 

She didn’t answer him directly.

“Finn, I’m going to be gone for a while,” she replied after a moment. 

“What?-- You’re leaving? What for? You just got here.”

Rey did not respond, only looked in the other direction, back towards the camp. 

“Where are you going?” he pressed further. 

Rey breathed a sigh and began to pace, considering how best to begin to tell him. She had rehearsed this conversation a million times in her mind, but now she could not seem to focus on formulating what she needed to say. Finally, she spat it out. 

“I’m going back to Exegol.”

“Ex-Exegol? But why? Why would you ever want to go back there?” his face was awash with distress. 

“There is something I must do there, someplace I must go.”

“There’s nothing there, Rey. You said so yourself. Nothing but rock and lightning and Palpatine’s minions.”

“That wasn’t entirely true.” Rey admittedly, not meeting his eyes.

“Well, whatever it is you need, Rey, we can help. Let us go with you.”

Rey stopped pacing and faced him. 

“No, Finn. This time I must go on my own. This is my journey.” she said firmly, her tone serious. 

“But--” he began, but she cut him off.

“--You all have bright shining futures ahead of you. You’ve all found your place in the story. I..I still need to find mine.” 

“Rey, I don’t understand. Why can’t you just tell me what’s going on?”

Rey thought for a moment, then resumed her pacing.

“Finn, there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you, to tell everyone. But, I’ve been too afraid to say it…” she paused to take a breath. “Maybe that makes me a coward, but I’ve...I’ve just been afraid of how you’ll take it.”

“Rey, you know you can tell me anything...I have something to tell you too--”

“--I know Finn, it’s about Rose, isn’t it?”

“Rose? No, it’s not about that.”

“Then what is it?”

She had known for a while that he kept wanting to tell her something, though they rarely had a chance to talk. 

“Rey, I’m Force-Sensitive.”

Rey fixed her gaze on Finn. Then she looked down at her feet and nodded her head gently.

“Somehow, I already knew.”

“If you knew, why didn’t you say anything?” his voice was more inquisitive than accusatory. 

Rey shook her head at him. “It was up to you to tell me on your own time, when you were ready.”

“I see.”

“Finn, there’s something else I haven’t told you.”

“Let’s have it out, then.”

“You’re going to find this very difficult to believe, and I understand--” she began, choosing her words carefully. “You see...the man you knew as Kylo Ren, he--I--”

“What--did he hurt you, Rey? Oh, I swear I’d kill him if he wasn’t already dead.”

“Finn, No--No. Please, listen.” She gripped her hands together. “Kylo Ren--Ben--he... saved my life.”

It took a moment longer than she expected for her statement to sink in. 

“Wait... _what?!”_ Finn finally sputtered in disbelief. _“He saved your life?_ Why--” he began, then paused to point his finger up in the air and narrowed his eyes at her. 

“--Why did he save your life?”

“Finn.”

“--Rey, what are you saying? Are you telling me that Kylo Ren, _the_ Kylo Ren, saved you? You’re telling me that _monster_ is-- _was_ \--somehow good?”

“He is _not_ a monster, Finn,” she replied a bit brusquely.

Finn shot her a look that was unreadable. 

“What else are you not telling me, Rey?”

“Finn…. Kylo Ren, Ben, he helped me defeat Snoke....and was there when I faced Palpatine. When everything was lost, he gave his life to save me. He came back. He..he came back when he could have left and saved himself.”

“Rey, I don’t understand….” he started, his brow furrowed. “...You sound as if you--wait... _Did you_ …?” he grabbed her arm to stop her from pacing. “Don’t tell me...you--you _cared_ for him?!” he was glaring at her and close to shouting. 

“Finn, please. _Just listen_.” her eyes seemed to gleam gold in the sunlight. 

“He _was_ a monster, Rey. He was Supreme Leader of the First Order. He killed Han Rey!”

Rey dropped her eyes. She felt as if she was past the point of being able to explain everything fully. 

“Finn...You may never forgive him for what he has done. I understand that...and, I don’t expect you to forgive him. But--but in the end, after everything, he chose to come back. He chose to do good, and he died in order to save my life. Now it’s time for me to do something good as well.”

“What are you talking about, Rey? This whole thing with Kylo Ren...Rey, I just can’t believe it. I feel like I don’t know you anymore.”

His comment stung, and Rey fell silent, her eyes turning glassy. Finn sighed forcefully and ran his fingers over his hair. 

Rey reached into her bag, pulled out her journal, and held it out to Finn. 

“This is for you,” she told him, swallowing back her tears. “I hope it will explain everything.”

He looked down at it, considering, and for a moment Rey was fearful he would not take it. Finally, he plucked it from her hand but did not open it; instead, Finn kept it held up, his eyebrows raised and eyes fixed on hers. 

“At first…” she continued, “At first, I wrote this journal for myself. Then, when I thought it could help others, I wrote it for anyone. But now... I realize now, that I really wrote it for you.” 

Finn looked at her, his friend he once thought he knew so well, and she met his look.

“I hope one day you’ll understand,” she said. 

After a moment that seemed like a lifetime, Rey dropped Finn’s gaze, turned around, and without another word walked back in the direction of the base. Finn was left alone, surrounded by the trees and the chittering sounds of the jungle, still holding up the journal as he watched Rey walk away. 

  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter and Verse.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey reveals the truth of her past to her friends and sets off on a new adventure to find the love of her life:
> 
> “...When I first met Ben, when he tried to invade my mind on Starkiller Base, through my own power I found my way into his mind. I could see all of these memories and thoughts and fears, and that’s when I saw this truth; that he had been led along, betrayed and manipulated his entire life. And despite all of that, there was still a glimmer of light, a thin sliver of hope, still there, buried away inside of him. Yet--probably because of my own fear--I couldn’t process what it was I saw. It was only later, after speaking with Ben, did I understand--”

“No, you can’t leave now. You just came back!” Rose exclaimed. 

They were in the command center; it had been cleared out, save for the five of them, Rey, Finn, Rose, Chewie, and Poe. It was a dim space, yet the surrounding computers cast radiant streams of colors across the room. Their faces glowed pale blue from the light of the main center console, which displayed a luminous map of the galaxy. 

“What’s the rush? Why now?” Poe asked. 

Finn was standing away from the group in the corner of the room with his arms crossed. His gaze was locked on Rey as if daring her to reveal to everyone what she told him previously. Rey wondered too if she would have the courage to tell them, yet knew she did not have much of a choice. If she was going to tell them the truth, now was the time to do it; she could no longer keep the truth from her friends. 

“What’s going on Rey? You can tell us.” Rose said, gently.

“I’m going back to Exegol,” Rey replied, working to keep her voice steady.

“Exegol? What for?” Poe cut in; whatever patience he possessed earlier was beginning to fade. “There’s nothing there. You told us that, save for rocks and lightning--”

“--And Palpatine’s minions, yes.” Rey finished, cutting him off.

“Let me guess. There’s actually something there? What, did you leave something behind?” Poe looked her once over, “that pretty blue lightsaber, or--?”

“--I buried that and Leia’s on Tatooine. I have another one.”

“Wait-- you’re telling me that Leia had a lightsaber? And now you have a new one-- _really?_ When did that happen?--” Poe looked towards Finn as if he had the answer. Finn met Poe’s look with an indifferent shrug. 

Rey rolled her eyes. “--I made it, ok? We’re veering off-topic, Poe.” She made no attempt to mask her exasperation. 

“Oh, right. Proceed, please...uh, you were saying-- _Exegol?_ ” Poe’s face took on a dark expression, suddenly serious again. “What’s on Exegol?”

Rey looked away from him for one moment, then met Finn’s eyes. He looked away and cleared his throat. 

She took a breath in, paused, then began.

“I haven’t been completely honest with all of you. I-” she racked her mind for the right words. “I’ve kept something from all of you, a truth about me that you must hear now….Finn--”

Finn glanced back over in her direction.

“--Finn, I’m sorry, this is going to be the first time you’re hearing this. I wanted to tell you last night, but I--I just couldn’t. I’m telling you all now.” 

Rey took a moment to gather herself, then continued. 

“Palpatine...he...was my grandfather.”

A moment of crushing silence, then--

“--Excuse me, _what?!_ ” Poe blurted out loudly.

Chewy abruptly sat up in his chair and motioned furiously with his arms in Rey’s direction _“GRRRWWRRGGGHHH.”_

“Oh...Rey.” was all Rose could say, shaking her head. She looked stricken.

“On Exegol he tried to turn me towards the dark side of the Force,” Rey explained. 

_Small steps, you can do this,_ she told herself. 

“I don’t understand...is that why you’re going back there--?” Rose began, but Finn interrupted her by laughing out loud. 

“Really, Rey? You’re a _Palpatine?_ Anything else? First, you tell me that you and Kylo Ren were on good terms, now you’re a _Palpatine_ . _What next?_ You’re going to tell me you joined the dark side--” he said, then laughed again. “--Or--or that you and Kylo loved each other.” His eyes met hers, and she immediately looked away.

 _Yes._

She thought it without skipping a beat. It just popped into her head. 

“Well--” she couldn’t help herself, then stopped.

“ _Rey?!!_ ” Finn returned, his voice raised and accusatory.

“On good terms? Finn, what are you talking about?” interrupted Rose, visibly confused.

“Go on, tell them, Rey. About you and Kylo Ren. Tell us everything, I think we all deserve to know the full story.” Finn answered. 

“ _Finn_ \--” Rey said, locking eyes with him. She could feel his anger pulsing through the Force. 

_Ok, now this is not going well, not at all._

“Kylo Ren?-- _the_ Kylo Ren, that murderer?” Poe said.

They all looked at Rey. 

At first, Rey did not meet their eyes; instead, she shifted her gaze to the map of the galaxy in front of her, her eyes reflecting the glimmering star systems and planets. 

_Here we go_ , she thought, then turned back to face them.

“Kylo Ren’s real name is Ben Solo. He is the only son of Leia Organa and Han Solo. Chewie, I understand you knew him well.” she said, looking over at him. 

“GWWWRRRGGGHH,” Chewie answered, quieter than normal, and nodded his head.

“He-his powers were strong from an early age. Yet, even before he was born he was coerced by the dark side, by Snoke, no--Palpatine. He never stood a chance. Han had no idea, and Leia...she sensed that something was affecting her son but felt powerless to help. **”**

The others sat there, regarding her, silent. Rose was shaking her head in disbelief, then a look of confusion overtook her features. 

“Palpatine? Wait, what about Snoke?” Rose said. 

“Snoke was just Palpatine’s puppet. It’s a long story, but the short of it is that it was Palpatine all along.” Rey explained.

Rose nodded her head, her face still awash in puzzlement. “Oh--ok, ” and then fell silent. 

“And when the darkness that was Palpatine began to overtake Ben,” Rey continued, “though he tried to fight it, Leia and Han sent him to train with Luke. Under Luke, Ben became quite powerful. He put his full trust in Luke, to Ben Luke was family he could confide in, someone who understood his power.”

“But...late one night, Ben awoke to Luke, not only his uncle who he looked up to, but the most powerful Jedi alive, standing over him, lightsaber drawn and ready to strike. Ben panicked. He brought the roof of his hut on top of them and escaped, later to be taken in by Snoke.”

Rey moved her gaze back to Finn. 

“At the time, Ben did not know he was being manipulated by Palpatines’s hand. That villain did everything in his power to isolate Ben and distance him from his family. Ben thought Snoke was the only one who truly understood him after what happened with Luke, but he was fatally mistaken...It was Palpatine pulling the strings all along.”

“Leia and Han did what they could for Ben, and so did Luke. Luke failed Ben and it tore him apart. Ultimately it was Palpatine who won.” Rey continued. 

“...When I first met Ben, when he tried to invade my mind on Starkiller Base, through my own power I found my way into his mind. I could see all of these memories and thoughts and fears, and that’s when I saw this truth; that he had been led along, betrayed and manipulated his entire life. And despite all of that, there was still a glimmer of light, a thin sliver of hope, still there, buried away inside of him. Yet--probably because of my own fear--I couldn’t process what it was I saw. It was only later, after speaking with Ben, did I understand--”

“--Understand what?” Finn remarked, cutting her off. “Are we supposed to feel sorry for him? After everything he’s done?” 

Rey’s eyes and throat began to burn at this. 

“I’m not expecting you to understand, Finn. In fact, this is exactly how I expected you to react. But please, let me try to explain.”

Finn shook his head and turned away from Rey. Poe sat down near the center console in the seat next to Chewie. Poe looked exhausted and ran his fingers through his hair. Rose shifted her weight and pulled her arms in tighter around herself. Rey resumed her explanation. 

“I understood that he’s not a monster. That he could come back to the light side, to help put an end to the war. He was coerced to the dark side through an entire lifetime of abuse and manipulation from Palpatine.”

Finn finally sat down but said nothing. 

“I saw and experienced all of it. I saw the moments when he reached out for his family in fear of the voice that haunted him, Palpatine’s voice, and their inability to help him. I saw and experienced Luke’s betrayal. I heard that voice, it was Palpatine’s voice, that whispered in Ben’s head, invading his thoughts and his dreams. It wasn’t just his imagination. No. As I said, he was born without ever having a chance. ” 

She paused a moment to organize her next words.

“Yet, despite everything, Ben helped me. He killed Snoke to save my life. We fought back to back in Snoke’s throne room against a horde of guards.”

“Snoke’s Praetorian Guards?” Poe said.

“Yes, that’s right.” Rey nodded.

“ _Damn_ \--” he muttered, more to himself. 

“Ben saved my life more than once. The second time was after I defeated Palpatine. It took everything to destroy him... including my life. I was dead.”

“Rey….?” Finn whispered. 

_“Dead!?_ Rose cried out. 

At that, Rey nodded sadly. 

“Ben came back for me, and...and channeled his life force into my body. He brought me back. And then...then he…”

“...He died?” said Poe, eying her intensely.

“He disappeared, vanished in my arms,” Rey said, shaking her head as she relived the painful memory, hoping the others did not notice her eyes welling with tears. 

“You think he’s still on Exegol? Is that why you’re going back?” said Rose. 

“Something like that…” Rey said, then hesitated. She did not know whether or not to reveal her plans to them. She studied Rose; Rose’s expression was fixed with concern. 

_Oh well,_ Rey thought. 

“On Exegol, there is something called a vergence. This is going to sound crazy, but it’s a portal, a portal to another plane of existence.”

“Seriously Rey, you’re going to go find _another plane of existence?_ ” Poe uttered, then chortled. 

“Yes, that’s right. It’s known as the Vergence Scatter...the World Between Worlds” Rey answered. 

Finn looked at Rey, his face reflecting an eerily calm understanding. 

“This is why you went to go see Maz,” he muttered, more to himself than to Rey. 

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You weren’t kidding about being gone for a while. You may not even come back. What are you thinking Rey? ” Poe said and stood up from his seat, walking towards the exit. 

“I’m aware of the risks,” Rey remarked to his back. He stopped walking but did not turn around. 

“All this for ...Ben Solo?” Finn said, his voice quiet and distant. 

Rey did not say anything at first, only stared back at him, her eyes glinting with her steady determination. 

“He’s not dead, Finn. Not quite...not completely. I have to find him. I have to help him. I can’t just leave him there.”

Poe walked back towards the group, his finger pointed at Rey and his face set in a stern expression. 

“Listen, Rey. I have to admit, this Kylo-- ok, _Ben Solo_ fellow, I never liked the guy--alright? I watched him do horrible things. I mean, he’s killed people, and he _tortured_ me, Rey. Now you’re telling us that for reasons you haven’t quite explained yet, you’re going to risk your life to bring him back from some magical-mystical- plane-thing?”

Rey eyed Poe, her brows furrowed. 

Poe continued “…It’s _crazy_ , and it’s stupid... _but_ …” he breathed in deeply, shaking his head, as if unsure if he should actually say what he was considering to say. 

“...But... I trust your judgment, Rey…. I trust that you have your reasons to do this, and I won’t hold you back from doing what you think is the right thing to do.”

Rey’s mouth fell open. She never imagined Poe would say something so heartfelt to her. The tears that threatened to fall earlier now streamed freely from her eyes. 

The tears streamed faster and her heart began to thud in her chest when she saw Finn nodding in agreement with Poe, albeit slightly, but it was there.

 _Finn._ Her heart began to glow, and she felt a weight lift from within. 

“Poe’s right, Rey,” Rose said, and Chewie uttered his agreement. 

“We’re going with you,” Finn said to Rey, his voice teeming with determination. 

Rey shook her head at him. “No, it’s too dangerous. It’s a huge risk just flying to Exegol.”

“Because of all the lightning,” said Poe.

“And rocks...” said Finn.

At that, Rey smiled but her eyes reflected an inner heartache.

“You might not come back, you’ll be putting yourselves at risk, and I can’t have that. No, this is my decision, it’s my journey. You all have obligations here. This is an obligation to myself.”

“Rey--” Finn began.

“--What about Palpatine’s goons? What are you going to do about them?” Rose said. 

“Ben took care of most of them when he came to help me. I imagine they’re gone, or there’s not many of them left to be much of a problem.”

Finn threw her a look.

“What?” Rey countered, eyeing him fiercely. “It’s nothing I can’t handle. Besides, you have to stay here, you are now a General of the Resistance. You have a galaxy to repair.”

“You’re not going by yourself, Rey. I don’t care what you say,” Finn said, his eyes flashing.

“Hey, she has a good point kid. You have a galaxy to patch together,” chimed in a clear, smooth voice from the doorway.

Lando Calrissian made his entrance into the command center, filling the room with his presence. His lavender cape flowed from behind him, swaying gracefully, and his signature swagger adorned his every step. On his face stretched a wide and charming smile, and his eyes glittered with the lights from the consoles. Landa scanned the room, nodding once to Chewie, then fixed his eyes on Rey. 

“I’ll go with you, Rey. Besides, you’re going to need someone to take care of the Falcon while you’re away.”

“Lando!” stammered Rey, and she ran up to embrace him. 

“You do know that means I’m coming too,” replied a strong, female voice from behind Lando. Rey let go of Lando and looked behind him to see Jannah striding up, eying Lando with a cheerful glint in her eye. 

_GWWRRRGGGHHHH!!_ said Chewie, which meant he was coming too.

While the group was exchanging greetings and an equal mixture of warm comments and snarky comebacks, C-3PO shuffled briskly into the room, his exterior panels gleaming in polished gold. 

“ _Oh, dear_. I apologize for our tardiness. What did I miss?” he said, his yellow eyes bright and fixed in an expression of a constant state of worry.

R2-D2 rolled in behind him and beeped, echoing C-3PO’s sentiment. His heavy, dome-like head swiveled side to side as he surveyed the room, taking in every person and detail.

***

After prepping her supplies and running through the checklist of items needed for the journey to Exegol for the second time, Rey’s restlessness began to gnaw at her. She acknowledged that fresh air may do her some good, as it always helped her clear her head on Jakku when she couldn’t sleep, and thus decided to go for a walk. She was ahead of schedule in terms of preparing; they planned on leaving that night and she was almost completely packed. Lando, Jannah, and Chewie were in the process of readying their supplies and catching up with the others. Despite knowing she would miss her friends, Rey was ready to go. 

When Rey exited the Falcon, she glanced up to see that the sun was still suspended high above in the clear, cloudless sky. She inhaled deeply and began to walk in the direction of the Resistance’s training ground. It was a makeshift, expansive area where in the past Rey would train with Leia. Not only was Leia her Jedi mentor, but she was also a friend. 

The young woman trekked along the path, occasionally stopping to inspect an unusual bloom or patch of fungi until she reached the training ground. In no mood to train, rather, hoping she could take some time to reflect on the path she was about to take, Rey turned in the direction of the nearby lake, towards the thick grove of palms that lay to the southwest of the training area. It was a short walk through the grove, and a bit tedious, as there was no direct path through the grove to the lake. Rey expertly navigated her way through the thick brambles and found a scruffy game trail that lined the small, mossy lake. She followed the trail until she found a wide, fallen log that lined the edge of the lake, forming a natural bench in which to enjoy the pleasant view. 

As soon as Rey sat on the log, running her fingers along the smooth, hard surface, for reasons she could not pinpoint, her mind became consumed with thoughts and memories of Leia. Rey missed Leia dearly; her death had staggered her, and after returning from Tatooine she could not shake the thought of her mentor from her mind. Rey missed her warmth and wisdom, her humor and her inner fire, the way she wore her heart on her sleeve and her passion and steady support of the people and causes she cared about. Her attention overrun with thinking, Rey did not notice a blueish-grey form take shape to her right, seated next to her on the log. 

“I always liked this spot. It was a good place to think.” said the form, a female Force Ghost.

“Leia!” Rey exclaimed and excitedly turned her full body to her former mentor. 

“Hello, Rey.”

“I--it’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, my dear girl. Did you want to talk? You know I”m always all ears, Rey.” she smiled warmly at Rey.

Rey looked at Leia, her heart arching as she realized how much she missed her. She could always count on Leia to understand. 

“I’m going to go find Ben, Leia. I’m going to bring him back.”

Leia looked at her knowingly and then nodded. 

“Yes, I expected you would...You love him, don’t you Rey?”

Rey was taken aback from such a direct question, but the time for keeping the truth at a distance had passed. 

“Yes, I’m quite certain I do,” she replied, nodding her head and meeting Leia’s solid gaze.

“I always cared for you, Rey….and I always knew you had a bright future ahead of you....” she held Rey’s gaze, then looked over towards the pond.

“..Now, I’m going to be frank with you--” she began.

Rey followed Leia’s gaze across the pond, listening to her unwavering voice, as a flock of gliders skimmed their brilliant wings along the surface of the water. 

***

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Finn asked as Rey finished throwing the last of her supplies into the Falcon’s forward hold and hit the button to seal the hatch.

Rey had no doubt in her mind, but she didn’t say so. She only nodded, met Finn’s eyes and gave him a small, reassuring smile. 

BB-8 rolled alongside her, brushing against her leg.

“I’ll miss you, my little friend,” Rey said to BB-8 and he beeped in reply.

His photoreceptor regarded her. Rey could swear that she saw a glimmer, a flicker that passed through his lense, almost as if he was crying. 

“Ah, none of that little one. Come on, let’s go to the others.” Rey said with a hint of sadness in her voice, and they followed her through and out of the Falcon, where the others, including Connix and other members of the Resistance, waited at the bottom of the ramp. 

“Stay out of trouble, kid. And take care of that freighter. Don’t crash it.” Poe said, pointing a finger rudely at her. At that moment, Rey could not help but notice Connix look over at Poe with a peculiar expression on her face. 

“It will be in good hands” Rey replied with a smile.

“Rey, take care of yourself. And come back as soon as you can.” Rose said and walked over to her and gave her a warm, firm embrace.

“I will Rose, I promise,” Rey replied and squeezed her in return. 

Rey let go of Rose and turned to face Finn.

“Rey...I--I’ll miss you, Rey,” he said and pulled her in for a hug.

“And I’ll miss you, Finn...You’re a good friend, and a good person,” she said, then smiled coyly at him. 

“Be good to Rose,” she said, teasing him, and he smiled at her.

After saying her final goodbyes, Rey broke away from the group and strode up the ramp of the Falcon. Lando, Chewie, and Jannah were already inside, strapped inside the cockpit and powering up the ship. It was time to go. Rey gave one final look back at her friends, then pressed the button to activate the outer hatch. 

“May the Force be with all of you,” she said quietly, as the door closed on the sight of them looking up at her, waving. She stood there for a moment, as a flood of emotion washed over her, making her shiver. It was followed by a feeling of peace, and purpose. 

As Rey walked up the corridor, her footfalls echoing around her, she could hear the ringing laughter of Lando and Jannah, and the growling replies of Chewie emitting from the cockpit. Rey nodded to herself as she walked in their direction. 

_Yes, this is exactly how it should be._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. To Exegol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey, Lando, Jannah, and Chewie embark on a journey to the desolate planet of Exegol, where Rey seeks to find the vergence that is said to be hidden deep within the Sith Citadel. Perhaps it is this vergence that will lead Rey to the World Between Worlds, and Ben.

“I always thought the kid would get in trouble one day. I never imagined it would be this bad,” said Lando, and Chewie grunted, solemnly nodding his head in agreement. 

Jannah watched Lando with a far-off look in her eyes.

Lando, Jannah, and Chewie were seated at the holographic game table in the main hold of the Falcon where Lando and Chewie had been concentrating on a game of Dejarik. When Rey told them of her plans to find the vergence on Exegol, at the mention of Ben, Lando looked up from the holomonsters shifting and scratching in front of him and regarded Rey with heightened curiosity. Rey, who had been seated against the engineering station across from them pushed back the heavy chair and stood up to face the group. 

“Ben needs my help,” Rey said in return, a look of determination sweeping over her face and sharpening her features. 

“Yeah, well, the Solos sure do know how to always wind up in over their heads,” Lando replied with a wry smile. 

At that Rey looked away from Lando, crossed her arms and closed her eyes for a moment. She felt exhausted, more so than usual. She had not slept well in days, not since she made up her mind to go back to Exegol. 

“So tell us, Rey, what’s next?” Lando asked, his voice smooth as silk. He was still watching Rey, ignoring the game, and the holographic Grimtaash that sat on the black square immediately before him began to look bored. 

“We went over this, Lando; we find Exegol, and you drop me off when it’s safe to land. You take command of the Falcon, at least until I--until _we_ \-- return,” she said, yet did not feel confident in her words. Feelings of doubt hit Rey hard as soon as they entered hyperspace, and her stomach had been twisting in knots. 

_What if we don’t return?_

“And we went over this, Rey. We’re going with you until you find what it is you’re looking for, this vergence.”

“I don’t know what’s waiting for me on Exegol, Lando. I can’t risk you and Jannah and Chewie--” Rey said, her voice tinged with dread. 

Jannah, who had been relatively quiet the entire trip, lifted her head at this and spoke up.

“--Rey, you’re not going in alone. We’ve already settled this….You can’t do everything on your own, you know. People are always going to come after you to help you. It’s our choice to do so, and we are free to make that decision,” she said to Rey with a look of unshakeable resolve. 

Lando watched Jannah as she spoke and smiled at her as if his heart was swelling with pride. He was nodding his head ever so slightly, though Jannah did not notice. 

Rey let out a deep breath and crossed over to the drinks bar, where she poured herself a glass of water from the tap and gulped down the cool liquid. The recycled water from the Falcon always had a metallic tinge in its taste, but after surviving most of her life confined on a desert world where water was rare and precious, Rey was happy to have a constant source whenever she needed it. 

Rey considered Jannah’s words for a moment, holding the cup in her hands. The others sat quietly for a moment and waited patiently for her to respond. 

“So be it. You accompany me to the vergence, but that’s it. I must go in alone,” she answered, finally. The mood that had settled about the group eased up, almost as if the room itself exhaled a sigh of relief. 

“We have our plan then,” Lando said and clapped his hands together in triumph, and his wide smile returned to his face and eyes. He turned his attention back to the game.

“Now Chewie, I hope you realize I can read your thoughts. Don’t even think about doing it, buddy. I’m telling you now, you’ll be sorry.”

Chewie grumbled a bit, emitting a few curse words in Shyriiwook and moved his K’lor’slug over towards Lando’s Grimtaash, prompting it to attack. Lando let out a disappointed grunt and shook his head at Chewie.

“I told you, my friend, you’ll come to regret that.”

Rey was watching Lando, eyeing him keenly.

“You knew Ben as a child, didn’t you Lando?”

Lando looked up from the game board and a wistful look shadowed his face. 

“Yes, I did…. I was around from before he was born, was here when he was a babe running around this ship naked up until he left to train with Luke. I left him a blaster when he was just a toddler, in case he ever ended up needing it.”

“He ended up needing it,” Rey said, almost automatically, and did not meet Lando’s eyes. 

Lando did not answer, only regarded Rey sadly. 

“He grew up on this ship, didn’t he?” Rey asked, sweeping her eyes around the cluttered hold. 

She only saw bits and pieces of Ben’s childhood from the time she entered his mind on Starkiller Base, and briefly when they touched hands in the hut on Ahch-To, but most of what she saw were times of Ben’s intense loneliness and pain. Her memory of meeting him as a child in her vision on the Falcon still haunted and confounded her. 

“Yes, partly, and on Chandrilla where he was born….he followed Han around whenever he could, especially when Han worked on the Falcon. Ben loved him dearly, you know.”

Chewie bellowed sorrowfully at that, and Rey met his pale blue eyes. She could not begin to fathom the heartache Chewie endured after the death of Han, Leia...and Ben. Rey sensed Chewie’s deep sorrow, which he largely kept to himself, and her heart was heavy for him. Chewie met her gaze but said nothing further. 

“...And Leia and Han loved Ben, did everything they could for him. They were the best parents they could be for him. I know it ripped them apart after what happened with Luke. They were my friends, we fought together in the war against the Empire and won our freedom together...after Ben disappeared, they never were the same again.”

Rey nodded. She understood, had witnessed Han and Leia’s pain at what they perceived to be their failings firsthand. It tore at Rey just thinking about it. Lando continued, sitting up straighter as he spoke. 

“And now...now is the time to set things right. I always said, the kid’s gonna need help one day, and that’s when Uncle Lando comes in. I’m looking forward to helping you find him, Rey. It’s the least I can do, and really, it’s my biggest regret that I could not do more.” 

Rey smiled at him, at Chewie and Jannah, and nodded, then walked over to join them at the table, sipping at her cup and contemplating her next steps. 

They would be arriving at Exegol soon. 

***

After checking in with Lando and Jannah in the Falcon’s cockpit as they mapped out the route to the Sith Citadel on Exegol, which had been pulled from _Red Five’_ s extensive logs, Rey slipped away, making her way back into the main hold and settling herself onto the bunk that lay tucked away behind the game table’s booth. Chewie was already napping in the crew’s quarters, and Rey decided he had the right idea; better to rest up now, while she still had the chance. 

She kicked off her boots and undid the bands that held up her hair, which had been swept back into a large, loose bun. She let her hair slip down and fall across her shoulders. Without putting much thought behind it, recently Rey began to wear her hair down more often. It was if pulling her hair back every day was an old habit, something she did for as long as she could remember, and subconsciously she began to shake it off. 

Despite the torrent of worries and thoughts that wracked her mind, Rey’s eyelids began to grow heavy. As soon as she laid her head down on the firm pillow, she fell into a heavy slumber which enveloped her in a vivid dream. 

In her dream, Rey was underwater, the light of the moon above her serving as the only luminescence, guiding her towards the surface. She struggled to swim up, and when she finally broke the surface her lungs felt as if they were on fire. Rey gasped, drawing in deep mouthfuls of air and clutched on to a cluster of rocks that jutted out near her, breaking the smooth curve where the edge of the ground met the water. After gripping tightly on the jagged rocks, she pulled herself up and out of the water, coughing and breathing in short gasps. 

It took her a few moments to compose herself, and when Rey regained her bearings she looked up and around her. She knew this place, had been here before. Yes, it was the cave on Ach-To. She was back, staring at the dark mirror stone in front of her, which reflected her image thousands of times in a line, all eyes watching her with the same look of mixed determination and fear. A word slipped through Rey’s mind as she beheld the mirror, letting its vast darkness wash over her. 

_Vergence_.

Though Rey did not realize it at the time back in the cave, she found a vergence before. It had first taken the form of a mirror, then, a window. 

Without warning, the vision hit her once more, the same way it did before back on Ahch-To. She saw other versions of herself, repeated in front of her, and behind. Rey held up her hand but did not snap her fingers. As before, she did not feel trapped, nor did a wave of panic settle over her; rather, she felt the same feeling of resolve wash through her entire being. And as before, the line of Reys did not go on forever. When she reached the end, she already knew what she was going to find, it was exactly what she came to see. 

Rey once again stood before the dark mirror. Now, it reflected nothing and was clouded and dim. When she reached out her fingers to touch the glassy surface, she said:

“Let me see him... _Ben...please._ ” and her words echoed all around her. 

In front of her, to the area right of where she held up her fingers to the mirror, an image began to take shape. It was the same two forms she saw the first time, two humans, one taller than the other, who both moved in her direction as if being summoned. Rey knew what was going to happen next, but this time, she was hit by a wave of recognition. When the two forms moved together, they blended together as one to form a silhouette of a single person. The form came closer, reaching out its hand, _his_ hand, to meet Rey’s fingers. That body, that hair, the way he moved as he walked; yes, now she knew for certain that it was him. It was Ben. It had been Ben all along. 

Just then, a voice, all too familiar in Rey’s memory, filled her head; the voice came from behind the mirror wall, it came from the form that held his hand out to hers. 

_Rey,_ he said, and Rey let out a gasp.

As soon as she heard his voice, she looked up to the form’s face. Before, during the vision she experienced when she first visited the cave, the form behind the mirror transformed to reveal Rey’s own face looking back at her. Back then, when the vision was over, she was left alone, heartbroken at the truth that her parents were never coming back. However, this time when the face transformed to reveal the visage behind the shadow, it was not Rey’s face, but Ben’s, pale, shadowed, and looking back at her earnestly. 

“Ben!” she exclaimed. 

He had the same expression on his face as he did on Exegol, right before he disappeared. It was a mixture of joy, despair, and something else…

Slowly, Ben began to fade away. 

_No!_

“Hold on, I’m almost there!” Rey called out to Ben, unsure if he could hear her. She had to hurry. Rey didn’t know how, or why exactly, but she knew, somehow, that she was running out of time. 

This time, she forced herself awake.

***

Rey shot up out of bed, narrowly avoiding striking her head on the overhanging ceiling of the bunk. The next moment she realized they had exited hyperspace, and hurried to gather her things. It would not be long before they would make their descent into Exegol’s atmosphere; Rey hurried into the refresher and changed her clothes. 

She pulled on a cropped black vest over a long dark brown jersey tank, followed by a pair of matching black arm warmers that ran up the length of her arms from her wrists to halfway up her biceps. She also wore dark brown slacks which were fitted yet flexible, and her warm, soft boots. Lastly, she pulled her hair into a half-up, half-down hairstyle, with the top portion of her hair plaited into a firm braid that cascaded down her neck. Over her outfit, she threw on her old faded poncho, which in the past had kept her warm during the windy, chilly nights on Ahch-To. Rey looked at herself in the mirror, surveying the woman she had become. 

_The time has come, I know what I have to do._

She inhaled deeply, brushed a strand of hair out of her face, then left the refresher. She went back to the crew’s quarters to collect her pack and holster, as well as her blaster and lightsaber. Chewie was not there; Rey figured the others must be waiting for her in the cockpit. Rey paused to take in the room, casting her eyes over its simple furniture and worn fixtures. Though it was not much to look at, this room, as well as the Falcon’s main hold, the corridor with its secret compartments, even the junk-filled walk-in closet, all meant the world to her. The Falcon had been the closest thing to a real home Rey ever had, and now, she wasn’t sure if she would ever see it again. 

“Rey, we’ve arrived. Are you ready?” came a soft voice from the corridor behind her. It was Jannah, who was outfitted in her soft golden leather gear, matching silk cape, and energy bow. 

Rey took one last look around the room and smiled back at Jannah, though not with her eyes. 

“Yes, I’m ready,” she said, aware of the finality of her words, and turned to follow Jannah down the corridor. 

***

When Jannah and Rey entered the cockpit, Lando and Chewie were in the midst of navigating the Falcon through a particularly thick cloud of static discharge and bolts of lightning. At that point, the ship began to shake and rattle forcefully. 

“Glad you could join us, Rey,” gasped Lando as he began to rock in his chair. Just then, the entire ship lurched forward and pitched to its side. Jannah and Rey clutched the seats in front of them to keep from falling over, and Chewie called out to Lando the status of their descent.

Lando nodded his head at Chewie, then looked back at the two women behind him. 

“As you can see, we’re working through some... _complications_.”

“Was it this bad when you came, Rey?” Jannah said, breathing hard as she fought to stay upright. 

“No, not at all.” Rey returned, and stood behind Lando’s seat, clutching it and watching through the window of the cockpit, her heart thudding hard in her chest. 

“I’ll ready the turret!” Jannah called out and staggered backward out of the cockpit and down the corridor towards the heavy laser that lay in the center of the freighter, slamming her way against the padded walls as she went. A former stormtrooper accustomed to battle, Jannah dared not risk encountering a fight empty-handed. 

The route that had been mapped out through the X-Wing’s logs was set to guide them straight to the Sith Citadel, the ancient, crumbling Sith temple where Palpatine had amassed and unleashed his power against Rey, Ben and the Resistance, and where he ultimately had been exterminated. The Falcon descended, and Lando closely followed the mapped route on their screens, as the dusty, lightning-ridden atmosphere hampered his view of the planet’s surface. Finally, after struggling through a particularly rough patch of friction-filled clouds, the freighter broke through the storm and they beheld the sand-strewn, desolate land below. There, floating above the pale sands of the planet was the black mass of the Sith Citadel, the impossibly large inverted pyramid where Palpatine and his cult of fanatics, the Sith Eternal, massed their forces with the aim of overtaking the galaxy. When they touched down and powered down the Falcon, all was quiet, save for the constant blowing of the wind and the bolts of lightning that streaked across the dust-choked dark sky. 

Chewie and Jannah were working together to close up the quarters and secure the ship, while Rey and Lando stood in the corridor near the boarding ramp and packed the last of the articles they needed for the trip. Rey was not exactly certain how long it would take for them to uncover the vergence. While she could always rely on the Force to guide her to where she needed to go, on Exegol it may be different. It could be hours or days, and time seemed to pass differently on the strange planet. Chewie and Jannah approached from the corridor after securing the number three hold, and looking back at them, Rey happened to notice Lando strap something to his back, underneath his long, velvet cape. She looked over at him, wondering what trick he had up his sleeve, but did not want to pry further. He looked over at her, a large grin on his face flashing at her; Rey could not help but smile back, imagining the handsome youth he must have been.

“Ready?” he said, casting his eyes not only over at Rey but at Jannah and Chewie as well. 

Jannah nodded once, firmly, regarding Lando gravely, and Chewie emitted a grunt of affirmation. Rey nodded, saying nothing. Together, they exited down the ramp, weapons drawn and ready to face the unknown forces that lay before them.

***

The group slinked stealthily across the ground, moving forward in a defensive position with Rey leading the way. Each person inwardly expected the worst: an army of cultists waiting to greet them, an ambush, a trap. Yet, nothing moved in the space that lay underneath the floating edifice. The dark Sith Citadel loomed ahead like a stain upon the pale indigo-grey backdrop of the chalky sky. From what little information Rey could glean about Exegol in her previous research, most of it coming from old mythology texts about the Sith and the Old Republic, Rey uncovered that the Sith Citadel was possibly thousands of years old. It was also rumored to have been built over fissures that ran deep like veins into the very core of the planet. This core may be the vergence she was looking for. There was a reason why Palpatine favored this particular site to resurrect himself and the Empire. Perhaps, he also had plans to manipulate the very fabric of existence itself. The thought sent shivers up Rey’s spine as they approached, the static of the electric air setting her nerves on edge. 

It did not take long for them to reach the entrance to the Citadel, which was carved out like a gash in the land directly below the looming pyramid. They made their way closer to the giant crevasse that led deep underground and Rey peered over the side. Her gaze caught on something, and she shook her head, her disappointment obvious. 

“The lift is broken. We’ll have to climb down to the bottom,” she said. 

“I guess it’s time to turn back, old man,” Jannah said, smiling and resting her hand on Lando’s shoulder. “Your days of climbing down cliffs are over.” 

Lando flashed her his signature smile and suddenly they heard the sound of hissing and a machine powering up. Lando threw back his cape to reveal a weathered but sturdy jetpack strapped to his back, jets of air streaming out from its base.

“Don’t go thinking I didn’t come prepared,” he said, a bit casually. 

“You have a _jetpack!_?” Rey exclaimed, suddenly impressed.

“It was a gift, from an old friend,” Lando answered loudly, so he could be heard over the humming engine of the jetpack, and winked at Rey. 

Slowly they climbed down the side of the canyon while Lando glided steadily along, stopping every now and then to get their bearings and assess their progress. After an hour of climbing, they rested for a moment, sitting pressed against the steep sides of the crevasse. Here, they had just enough room to stretch out their legs if they desired. Jannah was resting her head on her knees, her arms hugging her legs and Lando was seated with his eyes closed, breathing steadily. Chewie was cleaning his bowcaster, focused on his work. Rey looked around at their surroundings, suddenly startled by the silhouettes of massive statues off in the shadowy distance. 

“The Four Sages of Dwartii...” Rey murmured to herself, “...I didn’t notice them before.”

Chewie looked up at her but said nothing, then followed her gaze to the daunting figures that cast eerie shadows across the walls of the crevasse. 

They rested for a few more moments, before picking themselves up again and continuing their descent. Finally, after about another hour of climbing, slipping, and swearing, they reached the bottom of the crevasse. The air was heavier within the narrow valley that formed the base of the canyon and a sense of dread began to hang over the group as they surveyed their surroundings. Fog hung low in wisps, curling around their forms like a smoky blanket. 

“This place sure is creepy,” muttered Jannah, and Chewie nodded his agreement.

Rey was about to say something, but then stopped and held up her finger to the others, motioning at them to be silent and listen. As she concentrated, Rey realized with growing alarm that she could hear footfalls in the distance, approaching quickly. She looked in the direction of the sound and her eyes widened in horror as she could make out the forms of creatures running full speed toward them, breaking through the thick patches of fog. They were dark, hooded figures, their faces shrouded and their forms ghostly in the dim light. Without hesitating, Rey took out her lightsaber and ignited it, its yellow beam casting golden light over their surroundings and the forms. 

All of a sudden, strange, disembodied voices surrounded them, harsh and hissing and coming from all sides.

_“It’s her!”_

“ _It’s the girl!!_ ”

“She has returned!”

_“He wants her.”_

_“She must go to him--”_

_“Get her.”_

_“--Kill the others.”_

“Rey, Jannah, _Run!_ ” Lando called out, running over to Chewie and turning with adept ease to aim his blaster at the gathering faceless crowd. 

“ _No!_ I can’t leave you!” Jannah returned, her voice desperate. 

“Get Rey to where she needs to go! We’ll catch up with you.” Lando countered.

“Lando, Chewie, step back…” Rey began, her voice trailing off. 

_“Go!!_ ” Lando yelled at her and began aiming and firing his blaster towards the forms that now approached them. 

_“Get back!_ ” Rey yelled and ran to the sides of Lando and Chewie. 

“Rey what are you doing?! You’re gonna get yourself killed!!” Lando exclaimed fiercely at her. He aimed his blaster at a figure that approached them and fired. 

Rey pushed past Lando and held out her right hand, facing the group that approached them head-on, her face fixed in an expression of resolution and focus. The hooded figures in the front lines stopped and gasped aloud as if overcome with a mixture of fear and awe. Their reaction took her aback for a moment, but in the next moment, Rey focused her willpower, harnessing the energy that coursed within her and all around her. The air shifted and crackled, and with a heavy _thrum!_ that shook the ground, Rey used the Force to blast the figures backward, sending a few crashing into the stone pillars behind them with a sickening crunch. 

The white dust around them fluttered and settled; Rey dropped her hand and shifted her eyes behind her, her lightsaber still ignited and glowing softly by her side. Lando, Jannah, and Chewie were watching, astounded. Rey’s anxiousness compounded upon itself; they had no time left to linger. 

“We need to go. _Now!_ \-- _Let’s go!_ ” Rey shouted at them and turned to bolt away, away from the sounds of the mob of Sith cultists who were now heading their direction. 

Chewie and Jannah followed on Rey’s heels, sprinting full speed behind her while Lando sailed along behind them as steadily as he could with the jetpack, heading towards a large opening in the wall of the crevasse which lay some distance away to the east. Rey was not certain if this path would lead to the vergence, yet she trusted that the Force would guide her in the right direction. Something deep down within her told her this was the right way; it was all that she had. From a distance, one of the followers stood watching the girl as she ran away with the others and out of his sight. It was a tall male figure, hooded, hiding youthful sharp features and striking blue eyes. 

As she ran, Rey recognized the patterns on the walls and the way the tunnel was shaped, with its sharp twists and turns. She realized with an inner burst of hope that she had been in this tunnel before. This was the way to the Citadel’s arena, they were headed to the heart of the underground edifice. The vergence had to be there, she knew it, deep inside her being. They kept moving through the tunnels, their footsteps and heavy breathing echoing off the walls until up ahead they could make out the faint, echoing sound of chanting voices. Rey slowed her pace and the others followed suit.

“As I said, this place is creepy,” Jannah said, breathing hard and catching Rey’s eyes, a look of dread settling over her face.

Rey and Jannah crept forward further down the tunnel and peered around a corner to watch the chanting figures, ghoulish in their robes, head single-file through the tunnel up ahead, deeper into the Citadel. Jannah signaled to Lando and Chewie, who crouched a few paces behind them in silence, and they stood up to follow. Lando’s jetpack had been powered down and he was now keeping up as best he could. Quietly they followed the forms, creeping soundlessly through the tunnel and allowing a generous distance between them, as the cultists’ chanting served as the perfect beacon for them to track. Slowly, very slowly, they were guided down, spiraling further and further into the cool depths of the cave. 

After some time, Rey and the others found they had to hang back, as it seemed as if the cultists had stopped moving. Yet, they continued to chant, their murmuring voices eerie and unsettling. Then, inexplicably and all at the same time, their voices stopped. A moment passed, then another, and then they heard the grinding, clanking sounds of machinery being engaged. Wordlessly, they waited patiently until the sounds of the machinery faded. 

Rey looked back at the others who were huddled behind her and motioned for them to follow. They walked a short distance until they reached a large opening in the cave; before them lay a wide and open platform. Attached to the platform was a structure meant to hold a single enclosed lift. Jannah was the first to approach the lift and pushed the call button. She took a step back, and at first, nothing happened. Then, slowly the sound of gears engaging echoed all around them, and the system of pulleys attached to the lift activated and began to pull up the large compartment. When it arrived, Rey took a quick look back at the others and they returned her gaze. The unsaid words that passed between them were profound and understood: 

_This is it. This is the end of the line. Turn back now while you can._

However, no one said anything, and no one turned back. Lando, Jannah, and Chewie simply followed Rey into the rickety, creaking lift and together they were lowered into the murky inner depths of the Sith temple. 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. The Lapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey, Lando, Jannah and Chewie continue their descent deep into the heart of the Sith Citadel, where they discover a mysterious pool of water and reach the end of their journey together.

The descent on the lift lasted for only a few moments, yet to the small ensemble, it felt like hours as they stood tense and in silence. They all four peered out of the open windows, not sure what to expect in the coming moments, straining their eyes to see the ground below. Above them suspended along the craggy ceiling were scores of stalactites, some the size of freighters. A heavy fog the color of soot lingered far below them, obscuring what lay beneath. All was dark, yet the lights from the platform above offered a cold blue brilliance that was akin to moonlight and lit the space around them. 

They waited within the lift, descending lower and lower into what appeared to be a dark and deep abyss with seemingly no end. The air grew cold and close, and Rey pulled her poncho closer in around herself. Below them, nothing stirred save for the swirling pools of fog that coiled like great whirlpools of vapor. Soon, after passing a stretch of rocky wall that cut off their view of the chasm below, the view opened up once more and revealed a broad, dim chamber with a small landing directly below, lit by two flickering torches. 

As the lift approached what appeared to be the bottom of the shaft, the pulleys supporting the lift rattled and squealed with an ear-piercing _scccrrreeeccccchhhhh_ all the way until it reached the very bottom, hitting the ground with a loud _CLONK!!_

They all pitched forward with the force of the impact. Rey winced and Lando hissed under his breath “ _Damn_ , _that was loud!”_

They might as well have announced their arrival through a voice amplifier for the entire cave system to hear. They all exchanged a look with one another that said _be prepared_. Rey opened the door to the lift and one-by-one they hopped off the ancient machine onto the platform. Down here, the air was surprisingly icy, and Rey realized she could see her breath stream from her face like smoke in the air before her. The landing was empty, save for the blazing torches, the call button for the lift, and a single opening that led into a dimly-lit passageway. The group wordlessly began to spread out, wary of what may be waiting just beyond them. 

Rey unholstered her blaster and guardedly crept towards the passageway, taking her time and scanning the path ahead as best she could before proceeding. She took a moment to glance back at the others, then shifted her gaze towards the opening and walked forward. The tunnels were lined with the occasional torch, which flung uneven light across the walls and toyed with her vision. Looking down the tunnel, Rey had a flash of a memory from her life on Jakku, when she explored her old toppled AT-AT, her handmade Captain Raeh doll in tow and wearing the old rebel helmet, once one of her most prized possessions. She recalled loving to play at creeping along hidden passageways, evading an unseen enemy and rescuing rebel fighters. Back then, she used to imagine herself as part of some grand adventure. Yet, the reality of it all was a bit grim; here, all of their lives were at stake. She shook the memory from her head, yet she could not help but feel an added weight to her heart. 

After advancing along the narrow passage for some time, Rey heard something up ahead and stopped, putting her hand up to signal to the others behind her. She looked back at her friends who cautiously trailed behind her. Her heart was pounding and she could hear her pulse in her ears. 

_Do you hear that?_ she mouthed at them and they nodded back. 

Ahead of them came the ominous sound of chanting, this time with a heightened intensity that made Rey’s hair stand on end. The voices were as unsettling as they were indistinguishable, and even more so as it sounded as if each individual was chanting a different verse. 

They continued to creep slowly towards the clamor; there was nowhere else to go, and now was not the time to turn back. A sense of heavy dread settled over Rey’s heart, though she did her best to overcome her fear. She inched forward and still moving, took a brief moment to close her eyes, attempting to connect with the Force and calm herself, yet, the chanting distracted her. She opened her eyes again, the shadow of the fear remained. 

They trekked further down the passageway, and after rounding a bend, the tunnel shifted sharply to the right. The party halted and Rey and Jannah took turns peeking their heads around the corner. Far down at the end of the tunnel lay an opening into an expansive cavernous space filled with a strange, greenish-blue glow. The chorus of contorted voices was thundering and reverberated, casting an eerie undulating echo down the hall. 

Rey’s eyes were wide, her breath had quickened, and sweat-dampened her brows but she pushed down her anxiousness as best she could and continued forward, the others following closely behind her. They neared the end of the tunnel and as they approached the opening, they pressed their bodies as close to the edges of the walls as possible to avoid being seen. They inched themselves along, sliding like conduit worms through an electrical conductor, until Rey, who was at the front, stopped when she beheld the source of the strange glowing light. 

There, just ahead in the center of the room lay a wide, oddly-shaped pool. It glowed brightly with a pale blue-green color from a light source that could not be seen; there was no perceivable bottom. Rey looked back at Jannah, who nodded at her in unspoken understanding. Jannah looked at Chewie and Lando and with her eyes and a jerk of her head told them to hang back. Rey and Jannah pressed forward further towards the opening. 

Thin robed figures surrounded the pool along its jagged edges. There were perhaps two dozen cultists in total, roughly the same size and sexes indeterminable. As if prompted by some unseen signal, their voices synchronously began to gain volume, with many of the figures speaking at the full apex of their voices. Their words echoed and created a thrumming wave of sound. Rey could only stare at them in fearful wonder. As Rey watched them, she began to realize that the pool was glowing fiercely and was becoming almost too bright to look at, and the voices were loud, too loud. She began to feel dizzy, almost as if the Force was warning her to stay back. 

After a moment or so, the figures’ chanting transformed into an uproar of agitated voices, and all-at-once they collectively held their hands suspended high above their heads. Goosebumps covered Rey’s flesh and the pool began to shine with a bright luminescence that sent rays of light across the room. Rey staggered backward and Jannah caught her and gripped her by her arms, holding her up and gently pressing her against the wall near the opening as the girl regained her bearings.

“Rey, are you okay?” Jannah said, regarding her with concern. 

Rey did not answer at first and took a moment to center herself before she finally nodded.

“Yes...I’m fine,” she replied but did not feel fine. 

“Do you want to turn back or--” Jannah began, then stopped herself, her eyes growing wide. 

“ _Wait_ , look, something’s happening!” she whispered fiercely. 

Rey followed Jannah’s gaze back to the room ahead. The radiance from the pool became so bright that the light turned a blinding white that was impossible to look at. 

“ _Ahh!_ Never mind, _look away!_ ” Jannah hissed, and they both cried out and stumbled back together, shielding their faces with their hands. Lando and Chewie were immediately at their sides, and Chewie managed to break Jannah’s fall. 

“ _You ok_?” Lando whispered harshly as he pulled Rey up. “What the hell happened?”

 _“_ Palpatine’s minions were crowded around the pool and then there was this bright light and-- _”_ Jannah began. 

“--The chanting stopped,” Rey interjected, and turned away to look back towards the room. She said nothing else, instead ran full speed away from them, sprinting towards the room. 

“ _Rey!_ ” Jannah called after her. 

“Rey-- _stop_!” yelled Lando. 

_“Grrwwaaarreeeyyy?!”_ cried Chewie. 

The three of them exchanged looks at one another before turning to run after her. Chewie began to load his bowcaster as he ran, something he grew to be quite skilled at after all those years of adventuring with Han. Yet, he stopped once they entered the vast space. 

“What the--??” said Jannah, as she caught her breath and scanned the room. 

The forms that surrounded the pool only moments before had all disappeared and strangely, all of their robes remained. The glow of the pool had returned to its former state. At the edge of the pool stood Rey. Her back was turned to them and she was looking down into the pool as if searching for something. The others looked around the room, cautiously, half expecting to be ambushed by a gaggle of naked cultists at any moment. 

After a moment of searching the space and finding nothing, Lando walked over to the very edge of the pool and peered down at it, his eyebrows raised as if in awe. 

“Did they jump inside--skinny dip?” he asked, half-joking. 

“ _Hmmm_...” Jannah said and shook her head, not convinced. 

Jannah haltingly walked towards Rey, then placed her hand on her shoulder and stood at her side. She looked over at Rey, the glow of the light highlighted her features; the expression on the young woman’s face was unreadable. 

_We’re here, we made it._ Rey realized, and her eyes began to well. 

“Rey…?” Jannah said, noticing Rey’s tears. 

Rey suddenly bent down and touched the water of the pool, then immediately yanked her hand back, gasping. It was icy to the touch, shockingly so, that it caught her by surprise. As soon as she withdrew her hand the greenish-blue light rippled and then lost its splendor. Swirling clouds of darkness began to stream from the point where her fingers had touched the water and Rey stood up, shocked. She immediately realized that the others did not seem to react to the transformation that overtook the waters, as if they could not see it happening. 

“Rey, is something the matter?” Jannah asked, but Rey did not respond. Lando looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and concern. 

Rey found that she could not avert her eyes from the inky waters. She could not see her own reflection, but could only behold deep darkness that consumed the entire pool and shimmered like obsidian. It was just like the dark rock of the mirror cave, she realized. She found it, this was it. 

All of a sudden, a form began to materialize in the pool directly below her. At first, it was shapeless but then began to become more distinctive as she focused her concentration. Finally, she realized with a wave of emotion that made her heart skip a couple of beats, she found she was looking at the form of Ben, no, of Kylo Ren, masked and holding his old crossguard lightsaber, his cape fluttering, and chest heaving as if he was in the midst of a violent battle. Rey watched, frozen in place, her heart pounding furiously in her chest and her breath caught in her throat, as he stared back up at her. Then, something moved from underneath the surface of the water, spiraling and shifting the image, and the form of Kylo swirled and changed, gradually revealing the pale, resolute visage of Ben Solo. Instinctively, Rey reached out over the pool towards him, hovering her hand just over the water’s surface, and he mirrored her movements exactly as if he was her reflection, and reached his hand out for hers. He was only a vision, but now, Rey knew she found what she was looking for. 

“This is it. The vergence.” Rey answered, and Lando, Chewie, and Jannah looked down at the pool. They could only see the pearly, bottomless and bright greenish-blue water and the gentle ripples that still cascaded in swooping lines from Rey’s touch. 

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of going in _there_?” Lando asked Rey.

At that, Rey stood up and fixed her eyes on his. 

“Ben is in there. I’m going to go find him, and I’m going to bring him back.” Rey said, her face set with a look of determination and defiance that Lando immediately recognized. At that, Lando took a moment to think, then breathed a heavy, deep sigh and smiled his wide, charming grin. He pointed a finger towards her in a manner that reminded her of Han, and she could not help but recall the fact that they in the past had once been good friends. 

“All right then, Rey, I’m not trying to stop you, you know. Just, take care of yourself. And Ben. Keep him out of trouble.” Lando said and winked at her. 

Rey flushed at that and looked past him at Jannah and at Chewie who stood by her side. Jannah’s eyes were glassy with tears, as were Chewie’s. Jannah walked forward, a sad yet understanding gleam sparkled in the look she gave Rey. She rested both of her strong hands-on Rey’s shoulders and squeezed. 

“You’re sure about this, Rey?” Jannah asked and looked her square in the eyes. Rey met her eyes, full of resolution, and nodded. 

“Yes, I am. I’ve never been more sure about anything, honestly,” was her answer.

Jannah studied her for a moment longer before taking in a breath and nodding her head in acknowledgment. 

“Good luck, my friend. I know you will find him,” she told Rey and smiled warmly at her. They embraced, and Rey let the tears that had been threatening to fall flow freely. 

“Thank you, Jannah, for everything.”

Jannah pulled back from their embrace, smiled at her and nodded, stepping back to let Chewie approach Rey. The giant Wookie could not help but pull Rey into a full-on Wookie-hug, which had always been one of Rey’s favorite type of hug. Air forcefully wooshed out from her lungs as he embraced her and patted her head with his heavy, hairy paw. 

“Take care, Rey,” he told her in Shyriiwook in a guttural yet endearing tone. 

“I can handle myself.” she retorted in Galactic Basic, pulling back enough to look at him in the face.  
Without missing a beat, Chewie grunted back, “I know.” and Rey laughed, this time her smile reflected in her eyes.

Lando looked at Chewie and nodded his head, then met Rey’s eyes. 

“Give the kid our regards. Tell him his Uncle expects to see him again,” he said cooly. 

At that, Chewie let out a loud _GGRRWWRRRGGGHHH!_ and Lando held out both of his hands in a defensive gesture. 

“You’re right, apologies, make that ‘Uncles’,” and then turned his gaze towards Jannah. 

“...and cousin.” Jannah smiled and nodded at him, and at that, a realization swept over Rey. She always knew there was something between the two of them, not just their mutual understanding of one another, but also something else as if they knew each other their entire lives. Rey let the realization pass over her, but kept it to herself, at least for now. It would be a good conversation, for another time. She looked forward to it. 

“I’ll tell him,” Rey replied, and smiled. 

At that, Rey nodded at Lando, and took one last look at Jannah and Chewie, taking them in, and then without another word turned away from them and faced the pool. This time, when Rey looked down, Ben was no longer there; instead lay the bottomless black of the water and the unknown that lay beyond. 

_It is time,_ Rey told herself. 

_I’m coming for you, Ben. You will never be alone again._

Without a moment more of hesitation, Rey took a deep breath, perhaps her last she could not help but think, and dove off the edge of the pool and into the slick, depthless waters. When her body entered the water there was no splash; it was soundless and the movement of the liquid was gentle, as if the waters pulled Rey within, guiding her down into nothingness. 

Lando, Jannah, and Chewie watched, captivated, not noticing the furtive movements of figures that slid from the edges of the room, silently and steadily closing in around them. 

***

As soon as Rey hit the surface of the water, she felt the pull of the darkness close in all around her. She thought she could hear the muted sounds of shouting and blaster-fire above her, but only briefly, for in the next moment, an explosion of raw cold and blazing white light filled her vision and encompassed her. Rey felt as if she was spinning and weightless, and tried to breathe but found that she was too afraid to do even that. She felt her panic rise and immediately began to try to center herself, remembering Leia’s training, when without warning a vast and stark dark stole its way into the edges of her sight and overtook her entire being once again. 

For time indeterminate, Rey lay floating in a void. She was alone, yet this time, she found that she was not afraid; for some reason she could not describe she knew what happened next. She fixed her thoughts upon that thought, gathering her will and focusing on her energy on reaching that final endpoint, that oneness she had for so long sought and found but then lost again. A moment, or an hour, or several days or millennia later, for the time had no form here, stars erupted around her, the light dazzling and shimmering like crystal sand. Rey found herself gliding through space, yet, strangely found she could breathe again. _This isn’t space._ She thought, then gradually allowed her senses to come back to her. 

Rey moved her arms and legs, attempting to center herself somehow, but she had no sense of direction, of what was up or down. Suddenly, Rey heard voices emanating from all around her, overwhelming her senses. She grabbed her head, attempting to focus her thoughts and then without warning the voices stopped. 

Rey looked around her for a source of the voices, or anything besides the stars, and the next moment, Leia’s gentle yet steady voice filled her head. Her heart jumped at the sound, and Rey hurriedly turned herself around as best she could, searching for her former mentor and dear friend. As Leia spoke, however, Rey understood that Leia’s words were from Rey’s own memory. It was the conversation she had with Leia back on Ajan Kloss before Rey left to journey to Exegol. It played through Rey’s mind as she floated there, letting the words pass over and through her. 

_“Rey, he’s there. Ben is there, in the World Between Worlds. He’s there because I brought him there, as soon as he had passed into the Force.”_

_“He’s...not gone...” Rey had replied slowly, absorbing the words._

_“No one’s ever really gone, Rey. But, if you don’t hurry, he may move on. I can’t keep him there forever.”_

_“You’ve been keeping him there?”_

_Leia gave her a knowing look._

_“What you are about to do is very dangerous. This goes beyond death, Rey. You may get lost and not be able to pass on. Very few have ever ventured to the World Between Worlds and come back.”_

_“Nothing is impossible,” Rey told her, and Leia smiled her genuine, warm smile._

_“Find him, Rey. Bring Ben back.”_

_Rey looked at Leia with tears in her eyes. She made no attempt to hide them._

_“...I miss you, Leia. You were... are...like a mother to me…”_

_Leia regarded her for a moment, smiling, then spoke._

_“One day, someday, I hope you are able to visit Naboo, Rey. It was my mother’s homeworld. You remind me of her, you know, although I never knew her. She died when Luke and I were born.“_

_Rey looked at Leia, she did not know what to say._

Leia continued, her words resounding in Rey’s mind as she remembered them and flooding her every thought. 

_“I’ve done everything in my power to help you, Rey. Now it’s your time to act. This is your story.”_

_“May the Force be with you, Rey.”_

With that, Leia’s voice faded away and Rey found herself alone once more in the vastness of that space. Yet now, she knew what she had to do. 

“Be with me. Be with me,” Rey repeated to herself over and over again as she drifted. 

She focused her mind on one thought, and one thought alone as she guided her will into connecting with the Force. 

_Find him. Find Ben. He’s here. I must find him._

Her thoughts seemed to steady her movements, and finally, Rey’s feet touch a solid surface. She landed and felt pulled to the invisible surface as if pulled by gravity, her muscled legs finding purchase on the ground. Rey had arrived at the World Between Worlds. The Vergence Scatter. 

_Ben. I’m here._

She pushed the thoughts out into the eternal space that surrounded her, hoping Ben could somehow hear them. 

Rey put her foot forward and felt the solidness of an unseen path before her.

“Hold on,” she said aloud, and her voice reverberated and rippled around her body. 

The fear that overtook her in the beginning was gone, replaced by the fire that burned from within; the fire that always throughout her life kept her moving ahead.

She put her other foot forward and walked on. 

_  
  
  
_


	8. The World Between Worlds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey enters the World Between Worlds, where a profound revelation, and a certain someone, await.

**"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."**   
**-Joseph Campbell**

Rey walked forward, cautiously following the unseen path that lay before her. The feeling of the Force reverberated within and all around her, vibrating in her mind and throughout her body like small, pulsating shockwaves. She felt guided but also weighed down by the feeling. All that she could hear was the sound of her own breathing, which came out quick and shallow. As Rey pressed ahead, at first slowly and then gradually picking up speed, the icy fear that had settled in her chest thawed; she realized as she looked around that what she saw was familiar to her. Rey recognized the strange plane from the vision she experienced back in the ruined homestead on Tatooine when she first beheld Ben. The realm was a breathtaking sight to behold, the pure and limitless darker-than-black backdrop of space, speckled haphazardly by the faint twinkling lights of distant stars. No wind blew yet there was air to breathe, and the temperature was inexplicably imperceptible. 

_This place exists beyond life and death._ Rey told herself, and could not help but feel a wave of awe overtake her senses at the thought. 

After time immeasurable, Rey realized that she could make out the faint impression of the path she walked upon as it stretched on in front of her, almost as if there was a disturbance in the very fabric of reality which allowed her to proceed forward. The path was translucent yet there was a certain perceptible sheen to it; somehow it was manifest and solid. The young woman continued walking, letting her feet and the pull of the Force guide her. It was the only direction she could go, other than back the same way she came. Rey knew she could not turn around, that was never an option to her. Not when she was so close and after everything she and her friends who helped her endured so that she could reach this point. She knew, she always knew, that the only way to ever go was forward. She also knew and felt with her entire being that at the end of it all, after her struggle and all the peril she endured, lay the completeness she had sought out her entire existence. No, Rey could not give up and turn around now. 

Finally, or suddenly, Rey saw something in the distance that grew nearer, an odd, dark patch of space where it appeared as if the stars had dimmed, or rather, were further away. She soon became aware that she could hear more than her own breathing. Slowly the sound of Rey’s own light footfalls returned to her, the soft padding of her worn leather boots, and she could also hear the swishing of her clothes and the jangle of the pack at her side as she moved. Finally, the _thump-thump_ sound of her pulse crept into her hearing, which pounded in her ears and temples. 

_I’m alive, I’m still alive... I can do this._

She was alone, but without any warning, in the next moment, she became cognizant that she was not alone. For when she became aware of her own self, as her awareness grew so did her connection to the Force grow, to the channels of life, of light and the dark. With a start Rey found herself surrounded by a series of visible paths that converged from the one on in which she stood. 

_This is it._

_Here I go._

“Ok.” Rey breathed out loud to herself and proceeded forward, her breath steady as it took everything within her to remain calm and not panic. Letting the Force steer her, she felt compelled to take the path that sloped gently upward on her right side. As she walked she, as was her habit, contemplated her next steps. Understandably, Rey did not know what to expect when she arrived there, in this world that existed between the fabric of space and time and existence itself. Rey did not know if she would find Ben immediately, or if it would take her a lifetime, or more, or if he would ultimately find her. Was she possibly too late? Not wanting to get ahead of herself, Rey decided the best thing to do was focus all of her thoughts on Ben, and Ben alone. 

Closing her eyes and trusting her feet to guide the way, Rey concentrated, sweeping her memories of everything she could recall about him. She thought of Ben’s tall figure which towered above her, the strength in his stature when he stood and the way he sauntered back and forth ever-so-slightly when he walked. The memory of his voice streamed through her thoughts, which was deep and drawing, and she remembered the time he asked her to join him, and said _please,_ with tears in his eyes. She thought of his red lips which she could not help but glance at whenever they spoke. It was a habit Rey recalled with a jump in her heart that she noticed afflicted Ben as well. Then, as she remembered his inky hair and the dark pull of his eyes, her chest began to fill with that all-consuming heartache. Rey remembered as her throat tightened in grief how his eyes filled with tears and burned with emotion right before smiling and collapsing in her arms. 

At that, Rey’s desperation overtook her, and she opened her eyes and quickened her pace. All her reservations, all her fears, and worries about whether or not she would fail all slipped away. At that moment, which was not just a moment but a part of all eternity, she could only think about finding him. He had to be there. 

_You’re not alone. Neither are you._

Ben saved her life by giving her everything he had. In return, she knew what she had to do. She had to find him, to bring him back, because they were meant to never be alone again. 

_Because he...because I….because we are a Dyad, and always have been._

Rey again let the realization wash over her, which ignited her resolve. 

_Ben!!...I’m here!_ She pushed out with her full power into the Force. 

_“Ben!_ ” Rey then called out to that strange plane at the top of her voice, the sound echoing all around her. 

Yet she heard nothing in return. 

“Ben!!-- _where are you?!_ ” she called out again, her voice breaking. 

Only the sounds of her own voice and presence answered her. 

“Ben…. _please!_ ….answer me…”

Rey was breathing hard and pressing her hands to the sides of her face. 

“Please tell me I’m not too late,” she uttered quietly and attempted to control her breathing. 

Tears streamed freely from Rey’s eyes, and her brows dripped with cold sweat. She fought to remember her training with Leia, and with Luke. She fought to reconnect with the Force, which had always shone her the way. 

_Be with me._

“Be with me, Ben,” she said, breathlessly, to the void. 

Just as his name fell from her lips, a window of dim, foggy light opened up directly in front of her. Caught off guard, Rey fell backward, then cursed to herself before looking back at the form that appeared before her. It had a bright and glittering silvery border, which was in the shape of a wide circle that stood reaching high above her head. 

Rey studied the portal and looked at its edges, noticing a faint but perceptible shape of a triangle that boarded the outer ring of the circle. Forgetting her fear, Rey reached out her hand to touch the edge but found that her fingers passed through it, and she brought them back to her. Rey could feel a peculiar sort of electricity that emanated from it as if it was vibrating with life energy and the Force. Not only that, she felt pulled towards it, as if she was being compelled to focus on what lay within. 

Rey focused her vision on the swirls of vapor that began to move within the interior of the portal. The whirls began to dim, fading slowly into what appeared to be a dark and stormy mud-drenched battle scene. Lighting crackled in the swollen sky overhead, and a vigorous rain was pouring in cascading torrents. The ground was waterlogged, blanketed in pooling, thick mud. Before she could react, Rey found herself yanked forward by an unseen power, and landed with a _plop!_ belly-down in the thick and sticky muck. 

The rainwater that bounced back from the puddle she landed in stun her eyes and she squinted, choking and stunned, struggling to see. The rain was shockingly powerful, stronger than anything Rey ever felt before in her life, even more powerful than the severe downpours she experienced on Ahch-To. 

As best as she could, Rey moved her head up and attempted to look beyond the mud field. Her surroundings were indecipherable from her point of view, but Rey could discern above the sound of the rain the brash cacophony of battle, the shouts and cries of beings and the explosions of blaster fire. In the next moment, Rey sensed a large figure standing directly behind her, its form blocking out what light flickered from the fires that streaked the sky overhead. Rey jerked her head around just in time to see a heavily armored figure raising a large club over his head, ready to bring it down with his full force upon her. She cried out and instinctively shot her arm up to block the blow, just in time to see the red line of a lightsaber sear its way through the man’s chest plate. He screamed out in pain and confusion and then went silent as he was brusquely pushed down towards the ground by the one who stood at the other end of the lightsaber.

Rey jumped up and stood her ground as she beheld the dark, dripping form of Kylo Ren, masked and standing directly before her. They both were breathing hard, considering the other. Of all the thoughts that could have possibly coursed through Rey’s mind, the thoughts that overtook her at that moment were that he had saved her life, just then. Kylo Ren had actually saved her life before he even knew who she was. It was not just a vision. 

The dawning of the truth made her flesh break out in goosebumps and her heart threatened to burst from her chest. She had actually been there, at that battle, because she had traveled there accidentally from the World Between Worlds. For a moment they stood there, regarding each other, slowly sensing each other’s power and connection. 

_No...this isn’t right, I can’t be here._ Rey realized, and slowly without a word she began to back away. 

Kylo stood watching her, and the forms of what Rey understood to be the Knights of Ren began to approach her, steadily closing in. 

Rey backed up and abruptly lost her footing, falling backward and back into the portal from whence she came, back into the World Between Worlds. 

***

Rey’s breath caught in her throat as she felt herself free fall, instantly weightless. It all happened so fast that she could scarcely react before a rush of cold, then heat and bright light and blinding dark overtook her body, washing over her like a waterfall. With a _whoosh_ and a strong pull backward she felt herself break through and reach the other side. 

Falling, thrust back into that realm outside of time and space, Rey landed with a grunt into something large and yielding. 

Warm and pleasantly familiar. 

Slowly, Rey became aware that she fell into the arms of a person, a male figure, whose strong arms instinctively wrapped around her in a protective hold. 

Without a word Rey turned around, still wrapped in his arms and looked up into his face, immediately becoming aware of his sweeping black hair, and of his glimmering ebony eyes. Gone were his wounds and the angry scar that once streaked one side of his face. Rey’s eyes drifted to his full, emotive mouth and paused there for a moment. She laid her hand on his bare chest, the mud from her hand marking his skin, his skin was warm to the touch. She felt electrified through their touch, and they locked eyes. 

_He’s alive!_

Rey’s heart, her entire being, resounded with utter joy.

Rey saw Ben’s eyes widen as if he could hear her thoughts, but he said nothing and seemed for a moment stunned into silence. 

“ _Ben!”_ she whispered fiercely, her voice high and tinged with an eagerness she did not care to mask.

Ben blinked as if registering her voice and his name at the same time. He looked as if he doubted that she was speaking to him, that she was actually there, standing right in front of him. 

His eyes focused on hers with a powerful intensity, smoldering as they always did. Rey swallowed a sob. She was so overwhelmingly happy, she could hardly contain herself.

_It is Ben._

“ _Rey…_?” he breathed, his voice low and his large, deep eyes still fixed on hers, searching them in disbelief. 

“You’re...here…?” 

“Ben... you’re alive!…” she breathed to him in return, tears rolling in steady streams from her eyes. 

They stood there together for a moment, eyes fixed on each other's faces in wonder and saying nothing, only regarding each other in earnest. Rey’s muddy hand was still resting on Ben’s bare chest, but she did not seem to notice or mind. 

Ben watched the tears fall from Rey’s eyes and held up his hand, gently caressing away a droplet from her cheek. On his face was a look that was both profound and unreadable. The feeling of his fingertips on her face sent ripples of heat throughout her body. 

Without wasting another moment, and in complete synchronicity like dancers moving together in perfect time, they pulled in towards one another, fully wrapping themselves in each other’s embrace. Their faces met and they locked their lips together with a hunger and passion that sang of their long-neglected, unspoken need. For moments, or for an eternity, they stood pressed together, forgetting everything and everyone, knowing only themselves. 

Finally, the Dyad was reconnected; what had been lost was now found and made whole once again. For them, it was a feeling that was both inexplicable and insurmountable, and it was theirs and theirs alone, for all of time. 

They had finally found their happiness, they found each other. 

After a time the pair parted; Rey could see tears in Ben’s eyes. 

“I’m here,” Rey said, and reached up to wipe the tears from his cheek, accidentally leaving a faint streak of mud. 

At this, Ben smiled, and Rey smiled back at him, fully and freely. Without hesitation, they drew together once more and their lips met, the weight of lifetimes of loneliness finally lifted from them.


	9. A New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hand in hand, Rey and Ben venture through the mysterious World Between Worlds, discovering truths about each other through strange portals that appear and reveal to them pivotal moments in their lives. However, souls cannot linger in this mystical plane for long, and the pair must quickly find a way out before it is too late.

**"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."**

**\--Joseph Campbell**

When Rey and Ben finally pulled apart, the look on Ben’s face at once shifted into an expression of shadowed concern. 

“Rey...you came for me? You came _here_?”

Rey did not answer at first, only smiled, and before she could stop herself, swept her eyes downward. Instantly she became aware of Ben’s full nakedness and felt her face grow hot and looked up and away. Ben looked down and remembered too late that he was dressed in nothing but his own skin. 

“-Oh-” he stammered awkwardly, promptly putting his hands down and clearing his throat, and began to turn away from Rey. 

“--I didn’t have any...uh...clothes to wear...”

Rey laughed softly, a feeble attempt at diffusing the awkwardness of the moment. 

“Yes, I imagine there are not many cowls lying around here,” she said feigning nonchalance. 

At that, she heard him chuckle under his breath, almost imperceptibly, but it was there. 

Rey realized her face was growing heated again, then shook herself and reached into her pack where she kept Ben’s clothes folded in a tight bundle. His clothes were the only things she had left of him after he vanished on Exegol; she had carried them with her ever since. Careful to keep her eyes up, Rey held his clothes out towards him and he turned back to face her. Their eyes instantly locked, as if drawn together through magnetism. She could not help but notice that his eyes glistened a bit. 

“Thank you.” he murmured softly, and when he reached out to collect his garments from her hands, their fingers brushed together. 

Rey’s breathing quickened and she immediately turned around, affording him privacy to dress. Her heart was pounding and she was finding it difficult to compose herself. She did her best to keep her thoughts clear for fear that Ben would sense the wave of feelings that washed over her, feelings she had never felt towards anyone else before. It took everything she had left to keep herself from jumping up and wrapping her arms around him. All she wanted, more than anything, was to bury her face in Ben’s neck and weep in utter joy. 

“How did you get here?” he said after a long pause, pulling his black sweater over his head. He was now fully dressed and looked more alive than ever. 

Rey looked at Ben, and they regarded each other for a moment, letting it all sink in. 

Finally, she answered. 

“I took the Falcon and came back to Exegol, where you, where I--” Rey broke off, looking away, not sure how to continue. 

“Rey, you risked your life to come here, you could have died... _again_ ,” he answered, shaking his head. 

“I had help along the way,” Rey replied, brushing the notion of the danger involved aside. 

“Your uncles Lando and Chewie, and cousin Jannah, send their best wishes.”

He looked at Rey, a look of confusion swept across his face. 

“...Cousin Jannah?”

“Nevermind that now...I’ll tell you later,” Rey replied, dismissing the explanation. 

Ben took a moment to formulate his next thoughts, then spoke once more. 

“What brought you to seek out this place?”

Rey knew what he was asking, yet she was not certain how exactly to answer.

“It’s... a bit of a long story…” Rey began, took a long pause to consider her thoughts, then resumed.

“It all started when I saw you. You came to me in a dream, in a vision, when I went to visit Luke’s old homeworld. After that, I sought answers in the Jedi texts, and from others, and found my way here...”

He said nothing, only looked at her as if understanding. 

Finally, he nodded his head. 

“I saw you too, in a vision...or a dream. I didn’t know it was real, that I had actually reached you.”

“You did.”

They looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. The single word appeared in both of their minds. 

_Dyad._

Rey looked away for a moment and broke the silence. 

“Back on Ajan Kloss, I saw Leia. She told me I would find you here.”

“She did?”

Rey looked back at him and nodded. This time, seeing him, she could not help but notice the scorched hole in his sweater; it stood out starkly on his chest. It was where Rey had stabbed him with his own crossguard lightsaber at the moment Leia had passed away. It had slipped Rey’s mind to patch up the hole, and almost as if Ben could read her thoughts, he shook his head slightly at her as if to say _don’t worry about it_. He then regarded her darkly. 

“ _Why_ did you risk your life? _Why_ are you here, Rey?”

The question caught Rey off-guard, and she met Ben’s eyes.

He continued, looking at her intently. 

“The war is over, you have your life back, Rey. You can move on and be happy.”

Rey looked at him but did not immediately respond. Something stirred from deep within her, hearing him say her name. He waited patiently as she thought it over. He was watching her with a gleam in his eye that despite his best efforts betrayed his emotions. Heartache, longing, and profound, suppressed joy. Rey noticed and could sense the feelings welling up within her, the ache in her chest growing. 

After a moment or so, she turned away from him and closed her eyes. She breathed in deeply, then spoke as if she carefully considered each word.

“I’m here... because you saved my life...because you _are_ a good person, Ben. I couldn’t just leave you here alone,” she opened her eyes and looked around her. 

“...and...I…”

She felt herself wavering; this place had a strange effect on her body and mind, and she suddenly felt overcome with dizziness. 

Ben grabbed her by the arms from behind, gently, and it steadied her. She turned to face him, the lump in her throat vanishing and a warm sensation passed through her. She looked into his eyes, and neither of them could help what happened next. At first, darkness invaded her vision, then Rey saw a scene play out, another vision, although she knew what she was seeing had been real. 

She was watching Ben’s memories, almost as if she had lived them herself. Rey could feel Ben’s peace on Exegol when he passed into the Force, the last sensation he felt before his passing was the firm grip of Rey’s hand. Rey felt the crisp coldness that filled Ben’s body which gave way to a dull numbness and then an all-consuming nothingness. 

With a violent flash, Ben’s senses erupted in light and stardust, and then as soon as it happened, once again all was dark and quiet. The last slivers of Ben’s consciousness flickered like a dying ember. He felt his very existence slipping away when all of a sudden, Ben became aware of the soft sensation of a hand gripping his own. Rey experienced the stream of his thoughts, his eagerness and confusion at it somehow being Rey’s hand, and he gripped the hand tighter. Then, when he was able to open his eyes and his vision returned to him, Rey felt Ben’s dawning realization and recognition of his own mother, Leia, suspended in the space in front of him, holding his hand in hers, and her warm, knowing smile. 

“Mom…” he gasped.

“Ben.”

Ben let out a heavy breath.

“--Mom--I’m...I’m sorry.”

“Ben, I know, I know,” she returned, shaking her head at him. 

Leia lifted her right hand to his face and held it there, lovingly. Ben closed his eyes at her touch. 

“Ben, I don’t have much time. I brought you here, so that you may live.”

“What?” he asked, opening his eyes and regarding her with pain in his eyes.

“Go to Rey, Ben. Be with her, and _live_.”

Leia held her other hand out to him and he reached to clutch it, almost desperately. Ben could sense her slipping away through the Force as if she was fading. 

“ _Mom_ \--” he began.

“I miss you, my son.”

She smiled at him, a hopeful, love-filled smile.

“I miss you.” he returned, studying her face as much as he could. 

“Goodbye, Ben. Know that I love you, always.”

With tears rolling freely from his eyes, Ben nodded his head and sobbed. And with that, she was gone.

“I love you too, mom,” he said, finally, closing both his hands. 

With that Ben knew exactly what he had to do. 

_Go to her. Go to Rey, and live._

Then, still living in Ben’s memory, Rey could hear her own voice repeating again and again. 

_Be with me, be with me._

_Did he hear me?_ Rey thought to herself. 

Rey watched Ben move on, pulled weightlessly towards a plane that stretched out for eternity before him. She saw a horizon made of vapor and stardust, of stars and darkness. Rey witnessed through Ben’s eyes the horizon stretch on and gave way to the clear vastness of space. Watching, Rey knew that Ben had reached where they were now, the Vergence Scatter, the place where time and space interconnected, where no soul ought to dwell for very long. 

***

“Rey!” Ben called out to her, and she snapped back from the vision. 

Ben was looking over Rey and stroked away a piece of hair that fell across her face. He was bent over her, holding her propped up in his lap. She had collapsed to the ground, and he had caught her. Rey sat up, trembling, and tried to steady herself. Ben helped her and watched her closely. He spoke to her gently, his voice low and tinged with worry. 

“I’m sorry--it’s difficult to not do that when we touch.”

“Leia...I saw her...” Rey answered, fighting to catch her breath. 

Ben looked at Rey, knowing exactly what she saw. He looked at Rey with an expression she had seen before; it was a look of yearning and something perhaps deeper. 

“She took me here when she passed into the Force. I think she’s been keeping me here, all along,” he said. 

“She never gave up on you, Ben.”

At that Ben smiled, a sad smile that told of a thousand regrets. 

Rey returned his smile and brushed a few strands of long, dark hair from his eyes. They sat and looked at one another as if in awe of these precious moments they now shared together. Yet, there were many words left unspoken between them, and both inwardly felt that uncoiled tension that still existed as a line drawn between them. There would be a time for saying all that needed to be said, they both hoped. 

As if agreeing telepathically, at the same time Rey and Ben turned and looked at the portal where Rey had emerged. The battle scene had vanished, and all that was left were the pooling swirls of grey. 

“I was there Ben, back at that battle. You saw me then, didn’t you?” Rey said, watching the vapors twist in sweeping curls. 

Ben turned his head and looked down at her, studying her face. 

She met his look, her eyes wide. 

He took a breath, then spoke. 

“Yes...I did...”

Rey’s breath caught in her throat. He continued to hold her gaze, his eyes pooling as he looked at her. 

“....And...I’ve been looking for you ever since.”

Tears fell from Rey’s eyes as she blinked and stared at Ben, finding herself suddenly overcome with emotion. 

They gazed at each other, feeling their bond click with such a suddenness that they both reached out to grasp one another. Just as soon as they felt their connection, together they felt the fragility of their existence, of the fact that here, in this strange place, they were running out of time. Instantly Rey and Ben snapped out of it and they recalled where they were; the same thought crossed both of their minds, through their connection. 

_We have to move._

Rey stood up first and Ben followed. Rey reached out and grasped Ben’s hand, uncaring of her own forthrightness. The time for subtlety had come and passed. They both knew that, Rey sensed, and it gave her a feeling of peace and confidence. 

Hand in hand and side by side they walked further on the path, intent on finding a way out, together. 

***

  
  


As they walked, Rey wracked her mind for clues from what she read about the World Between Worlds from the Jedi texts. If it existed outside of time and space, and she was able to access and actually travel to a point in the past, could she then potentially alter the past? Could she have stopped her parents from being killed, or stopped Ben from dying? Rey thought and looked up at him, her heart aching. Yet, he is here now, right?

 _You must proceed forward, never back._ Rey remembered Maz’s words. 

Rey trusted Maz and her wisdom, and thus, she had her answer. No, she could not change the past. 

As if in reply, or as if in a challenge, a portal opened up in front of them, startling them both. Rey and Ben both took a step back, hands still grasped in each other’s, and stared at the portal that stood in their path. It was filled with the same swirling grey clouds of vapor that the previous portal held, although this time the scene that unfolded before them as they watched was something different. 

Rey watched in horror as she beheld a scene from her past; it was the moment when she was separated from her parents, back on the sandy dunes of Jakku. She watched as she was ripped, crying, from their arms by Unkar Plutt. She also watched as her parents were later loaded onto the _Bestoon Legacy_ , the interstellar transport ship, where they met their cruel fate. Young Rey’s desperate cries echoed around the pair as they watched, and Ben squeezed her hand and looked at her. No tears spilled from Rey’s eyes, she only watched until she found she could not anymore, and then she turned away. Wordlessly they moved around the portal, taking care to not touch it. 

After some time, Ben broke the silence between them. 

“Rey?” Ben asked, softly. 

“I’m okay,” she said, and they continued, their feet moving synchronously forward. 

They continued walking for time immeasurable until once again a portal appeared in front of them, blocking their path. As they stood and watched the scene unfold before them, Rey sensed Ben’s apprehension growing, and watched the vapors transform into the scene of a comfortable family dwelling. Specifically, it was a chamber with a small unmade bed, and a desk, scattered here and there with clothes, as well as a set of ink, pens and parchment scrolls. It was a room Rey did not recognize, and suddenly she realized that this point in the past was not from her own memory, but Ben’s. 

Together they stood in silence as they watched a young Ben burst into the room, pushing the door open with the Force with a ferocity that caused the door to slam against the wall and rattle the items on his desk. He was no older than nine or ten years old and was fuming, breathing hard and obviously upset. Han and Leia appeared at the door and stopped at the entrance. Leia had a look of pained exhaustion on her face, and Han was already pointing his finger at Ben, about to begin a tirade. 

“Ben! We’ve gone over this before!” Han began. 

Young Ben clutched his hands to his head and yelled out “Leave me alone!” at his parents. Just then, the room bristled with energy and with a loud crash all of the pictures on his walls and items on his shelves were violently thrown to the ground. 

At that, young Ben looked around him in fear and confusion, then fell to the floor and began sobbing. Leia moved forward, pushing past Han and reaching out to comfort her son, but Han put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Leia looked back at Han, a smoldering look in her eyes, but Han only shook his head at her and regarded her with a look that said _Let’s leave him be_. With that, Leia nodded slightly, looking back at Ben for a moment, before they both walked out of the room. Huddled on the ground, young Ben could hear them quietly argue about him in the hallway, and he covered his ears. Watching the scene unfold before her, Rey wanted nothing more than to reach out and comfort Ben, who still stood at her side. 

Ben looked over to Rey morosely, no longer interested in what he saw. 

“Let’s go,” he said to her.

Rey met his eyes with no judgment, only understanding, and nodded. 

***

Rey and Ben proceeded forward, letting the Force guide them along the seemingly endless pathway, as other portals and scenes from their histories appeared before them. Hand in hand they watched their first Force bond together, and Rey looked down at the moment when she drew out her blaster and fired at Ben as he sat stunned in his chair.

“You shot first,” Ben said, coyly and Rey looked up at him, her mouth open and brow furrowed as if scandalized. 

Ben looked back at her with a wry smile that made her blush and her body light up. 

“Oh come off it,” Rey replied, letting go of his hand and shoving him playfully. At that Ben laughed, and gestured for her to continue walking with him.

They were still smiling when the next portal appeared before them, stopping them dead in their tracks. 

The scene that unfolded in front of them was from the moment Rey had healed Ben, back on the waterlogged wreckage of the Death Star on Kef Bir. Soaring waves towered around them, spewing powerful cascades of icy saltwater over their huddled forms. Rey was crouched over Ben, who was mortally wounded, her hand extended gently on top of his stomach, where she had stabbed him only moments before. 

Rey and Ben watched together as Rey slowly gave herself to heal Ben. Rey could not help but stare transfixed at the expression on Ben’s face as she healed him, taking notice of the way he watched her as if he was confounded by and in awe of her. Then, the pair watched when Rey revealed to Ben the truth that she had kept to herself and from him for more than a year. 

“I wanted to take your hand. Ben’s hand.”

Rey looked away from the scene and the portal, then looked over at Ben as he continued to watch, as if in a daze.

“Let’s go,” Rey said and touched his arm. 

Ben appeared to wake from his momentary reverie and peered down at her, his eyes revealing more than he could say at that time. Rey nodded, then reached her hand back out to him and he took it. 

It was only a few strides later when another portal appeared. Ben and Rey stopped, frozen in place by what they saw, and Rey felt a painful lump creep into her throat. It was the exact moment when they faced Palpatine, raising Luke’s and Leia’s lightsabers to fight him, side by side. Harshly bright lightning crackled above and all around, and Palpatine loomed before them like a depraved ghoul. Watching from outside of the portal, Ben let go of Rey’s hand and moved to dive into the portal, when Rey jumped forward to halt him, grabbing at him from behind and catching him by his sweater. Ben looked back at her, puzzled and breathing hard, his brows knit together.

“Rey, we can stop him--neither of us has to die. This could be the way!” he cried out, his voice rising with adrenaline. Rey felt his energy and could sense that he felt as if he was going to burst apart at the seams. 

“No, Ben, we can’t--” she stammered.

“-- _We can change the past_ \--” he began. 

“--No, _we_ must go forward!” she shot back, regarding him with a fervor that took him by surprise and made him hesitate. 

Ben studied Rey’s face, the way he always did. It made Rey feel as if he was studying her very soul, and goosebumps stirred up her arms. Ben must have felt what she did, as she could swear she saw him shiver a little. 

Ben sighed, not breaking his gaze from her. 

“Alright. We’ll go forward...” he began, then looked ahead. 

“We have to hurry to find a way out of here, Rey. We were never meant to stay.” 

Rey nodded back, and without looking back at the portal, they both turned away and walked ahead, quickening their pace. 

After some time, nothing appeared. 

“How will we know when it is safe to leave, I wonder?” Ben asked Rey. 

“I don’t know, exactly. We’ll just have to choose wisely, I gather.”

He looked forward and nodded in agreement. 

After a while of walking without speaking, they came upon a path that branched away like a stream from the one they were following. The path split away and continued upward, sloping up and out of sight. 

“What is this?” Ben asked, and Rey shook her head, following the slope of the path with her eyes. 

“I don’t know. But, I feel as if we should follow it. Do you feel the same?” Rey asked, casting her eyes back at him.

“Yes, I have the sense that I’m being pulled in that direction.”

“Yes, exactly.” Rey agreed, and so they followed the path, letting the pull of the Force guide them. 

***

It was not long before a portal opened before them, though, it looked different from the other portals they had seen before. In place of the swirls of grey and vapor was instead the clear image of an emerald-colored planet, covered in wide oceans, thick clouds, and the abundant greens, yellows, and browns that comprised the world’s landmasses. The sliver of the world that appeared to be experiencing night time, within its southern hemisphere, was spotted with artificial light which amassed in certain areas like twinkling colonies. 

“It looks like a developed planet...but I don’t see--” Rey began, looking over the planet in wonder. 

Just then, Ben collapsed to the ground, and Rey stumbled to catch him, watching in horror as his entire body began to grow faint.

“Ben--no!” Rey cried out. 

“ _Rey_ ...we have to go… _now_...” Ben panted, reaching out for her. 

The very fabric of reality around them seemed to shift, and a strong vibrating power thrummed in Rey’s eyes and hampered her vision. Desperately Rey gripped Ben’s arms and pulled him forward, holding on to him as tightly as she could. Embracing one another, they flung themselves into the portal; as a pair, they departed the World Between Worlds. 

***

Explosions of light, of nebulas and space dust, of galaxies and supernovae and time and space unfathomable, surrounded them, stretching on and on. Within that vastness, the forms of Rey and Ben were only small specs in the impossibility that was the universe. Through everything, Rey and Ben held on to each other. Wrapped up in Ben’s embrace, Rey felt his warmth and it comforted her. 

_He is still alive, we are still alive._

This time, she would not let their dyad break. 

Together they spun and swirled through electricity and fog and ice and fire until finally, they felt themselves being forcefully thrust forward, through a thick yet imperceptible barrier. Finally, with a final push and a short freefall, Rey landed on top of Ben and bounced off of him, landing with a thud onto a soft, grassy surface. They both gasped for air. 

Ben instantly reached out for Rey. 

“Rey!...are you okay?”

“Yes...yes, I’m okay...” she said, coughing and looking up at him. 

They crawled to one another and embraced each other, still shaking and struggling to steady their breathing. After a few moments, Rey and Ben broke their focus off of one another and looked around at their surroundings. 

“We made it,” Ben said, the relief coming through strongly in his voice.

“Where are we?” Rey pondered aloud, looking this way and that. 

“I have no idea…” Ben said. 

After helping each other up, Rey and Ben found that they had landed on a grassy hill that overlooked a beautifully maintained, rock-lined pond. Beyond the pond, and all around them, stood tall lush trees of all sorts and colors. Just beyond the trees, towered countless soaring, multiple-storied buildings that pierced the clouds above them. It was an oddly beautiful sight, and Rey looked at their surroundings in wonder. Although she had no idea of where they were, for some strange reason she did not feel afraid. If anything, she was filled with feelings of relief and respite. 

Despite their damp clothes, they were not cold, for the air was warm and humid. The buzzing sound of insects and the ceaseless movements of the unfamiliar city filled the air. Scanning the buildings and the skyline, and filled with a mixture of fascination and curiosity, Rey and Ben knew without saying that something seemed to be missing, yet the pair were too exhausted to question it. 

With the last remnants of their energy, Rey and Ben held on to one another and stumbled over to a wide stone bench that sat at the top of the hill. Without saying a word, they laid down together. Ben wrapped his arms around Rey from behind, and Rey curled her body up against him, soaking in his presence. Within moments they were both sound asleep. 

They had made it out alive. Finally, they had each other. 

In peace, they slept. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs that inspired me in writing this chapter:
> 
> Eine Kleine Nachtmusik- Epic Trailer Version: Hidden Citizens
> 
> Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/1ku1U3RGuqtVoFIlqeJzd1?si=JHLJZIziQsKrzrbkArvO1w 
> 
> End of the Earth: MARINA
> 
> Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/1IX5GViQx1q2CEllC0FOd6?si=4_p3qz9_QdGkc8lWBPpOFg


	10. Hope Reborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up on a strange, unfamiliar planet, Rey and Ben realize this world is unlike any they have ever encountered before. Though the world is developed, its technology is limited and its methods of transportation archaic. Unable to return home, at least for now, together Rey and Ben will explore this new frontier to unravel all the mysteries it has to offer.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the rebuilt great hall of Takodana castle echoed with the light sounds of chattering, music, and laughter, and the clinking of glasses and furtive exchanges. It was a cool and crisp morning, and already the regular traffic of space smugglers, bounty hunters and merchants of all shapes and sizes began entering through the hall’s large wooden doors, above which stood a patched together sign that read: 

_All are welcome. [No fighting]._

Seated comfortably at a long and scarred wooden table with a hot cup of cider resting between his hands, General Finn turned to Maz, who was sitting to his right, and asked her what she thought became of Rey. Maz was slicing into a horned melon with a small knife and turned to Finn, her gaze at once assessing and contemplative. She did not answer him at first, only shifted her eyes to the two babbling toddler girls who played on the frayed rug in front of them. Rose stood nearby, listening and refilling her mug. 

“I cannot say for certain,” Maz finally said, shaking her head slightly. 

“All that we can know is that the dyad cannot be apart for long. Eventually, the Force will find a way to reconnect them. They are two parts of the same whole.” Maz replied. 

“Rey knew this?” Finn returned, his voice quiet. 

“Yes, I believe she knew, though I was not the one to tell her. It was something only she could discover herself.” Maz said, nodding her head to herself in affirmation. 

Finn looked over to Rose, who smiled back at him; he nodded once to her and returned her smile, though it did not reach his eyes. The general looked down at his twin daughters and breathed deeply through his nose. When Finn said goodbye to Rey, all those years ago, he did not realize the finality of it all, that perhaps it truly was the last time he would see her. He always told himself that if he had somehow known, things would have been different. Perhaps he would have taken more time to listen to what she had to say. Rey had been his first true friend in his life, as he was sure he was for her; she had been his best friend, and her disappearance still weighed heavy in his heart. He had yet to hear back from Lando, Chewie, and Jannah since they had left aboard the Falcon more than two years ago, and attempts at hailing the Falcon failed. As time passed and as his responsibilities as a father and a general grew to occupy his attention, Finn’s hope of seeing Rey again grappled with his growing fears and disheartenment. 

Sitting there, Finn recalled the journal Rey left with him before leaving for Exegol. It had taken him more than a week to finally crack it open to see whatever words yet to be revealed lay inside. When he gathered the courage to read the pages upon pages of Rey’s neat handwriting, he was not prepared for the truths she laid bare through her writings. Rey recorded a detailed account of her experiences over the year and a half before she left for Exegol, including her description of her first meeting with Finn on Jakku and their death-defying escape, when shortly after they met Han and Chewie. She wrote of the powerful vision she had in Maz’s castle, which Finn never knew of, and how after running away, she was captured by Kylo Ren. Rey transcribed the interrogation on Starkiller Base and explained how she entered Kylo Ren’s mind and encountered his true self, Ben Solo. Rey wrote about the death of Han, the entries a bit tear-streaked, and of the moment when she fought Kylo Ren yielding the lightsaber that Maz had given Finn. It was through Rey’s account that Finn learned of the details of the duel that took place between Rey and Kylo Ren, of her confusion when he offered to help teach her, and of her rejection of his proposal.

Rey also wrote of her time on Ach-To, of Luke and her first Force connections with Kylo Ren, and how everything changed after that. Finn read with astonishment about Rey’s last-ditch effort and failure to turn Kylo Ren, whom she now referred to as Ben, back to the light side. She wrote how Ben offered her his hand, and how she wanted more than anything to take it, yet could not. Lastly, Rey described the events that transpired in the last months before the Battle of Exegol, of her Force meetings with Ben, of their encounter with Palpatine on Exegol, and how Ben gave his own life to save hers. After that, Rey wrote:

_...Ever since then, ever since that moment when Ben disappeared, a part has been missing from me, as if half of me is gone. It is an emptiness I’ve felt before, back when I was a little girl all alone on Jakku. It’s unshakeable. Yet, I know, somehow, no one is really ever gone. I will find him. I will bring him back._

_Finn, my dearest friend, I hope you understand._

_-Rey_

Following the conversation Rey and Finn had before she departed that final time, and after reading Rey’s unfiltered account of what happened, though it took much time and reflection, Finn found that he did understand why Rey left to go find Ben. Yet, Finn did not understand why she had not yet returned; after the days, months and years slipped by, her absence gnawed at him. All that Finn wanted to know was whether or not Rey was okay, if she was still alive, and if she had ever found Ben and her own version of happiness, somehow. 

In recent times, more and more frequently Finn used his free moments working alongside C-3PO to scour the Jedi texts Rey had left for him, searching for any clues as to what became of her. It was during those moments of study, remembering all the times he poked fun at her for doing exactly what he was doing now, that Finn could swear he sensed Rey through the Force. It was a faint, barely tangible feeling he could not quite nail down, akin to a phantom blip on a radar display, and he was not sure exactly what it meant. 

Nevertheless, day after day Finn continued to hold on to the hope that he would see his friend again. Sitting at the table in the warm hall, Finn felt something deep within the Force glimmer from someplace far, far away. With a small smile to himself, he took a long draft from his cider and watched his wife play with their twin daughters while they giggled with glee. 

  
  


***

The first stirrings of dawn formed a chorus of sounds that woke Rey from a deep, dreamless sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, her heart leaping in her throat as she wracked her mind to recall where she was. Rey looked up blearily towards the rising sun as it peeked out from the crowded horizon, painting rays of brilliant golden light across the tall towers, colorful trees and jade-colored water of the pond which encompassed the view that stretched out before them. 

_Them._

Rey instantly became aware of the warm, solid body behind hers, and she twisted around to see the sleeping form of Ben, his hand resting on his broad chest which moved up and down in a steady rhythm. 

_It wasn’t all a dream. He’s here. He’s alive._

Rey shivered at the sight of him, though she could not say for certain if she was trembling at the briskness of the morning, or if she was overcome with emotions that had yet to rise to the surface. Perhaps it was a mixture of both. 

“Hey, you kids know you can’t sleep here.” A deep, gruff voice with a peculiar accent spoke up from the hill behind them, interrupting her thoughts. 

Rey jolted up from the bench, facing the source of the voice, and with a quick flick of her hand she withdrew her lightsaber, igniting it, the golden light brightening the surroundings around her. 

“Hey _whoa whoa_ ma’am.” the man exclaimed, stumbling back at the sight of her lightsaber, his mouth agape. He was an older heavy set male wearing dark clothing, a dark cap and silver regalia of sorts pinned to his chest and his hat. One hand shot out towards Rey, a defensive gesture, while his other hand reached for the weapon he kept in the holster at his hip.

“Drop the er--is that a glow stick?” the man stammered, thinly masking his confusion. 

“There’s nothing here to worry about,” Ben said, who was now fully awake and pushed himself upright, sweeping his hand out towards the man, who stiffened as he entered his mind. 

“Everything is as it should be." Ben continued, and the man nodded as if in agreement, his eyes blank. 

"Now, hand her your weapon...and your jacket…” Ben stated, still holding up his hand, his voice low and commanding. 

Ben then looked back at Rey and glanced down at her lightsaber, then looked back up at her, shaking his head as if to say, _it’s okay, you don’t need it._ With a swift swish of her thumb, Rey extinguished her lightsaber and clipped it back to her side. 

The man proceeded to remove his jacket and took his weapon out of his holster. He handed both to Rey, and after slipping on the jacket, she took a moment to examine the weapon, instantly fascinated by it. It looked a great deal like a blaster. It was an old type of technology, almost archaic in its design, yet constructed with an obvious ingenuity. Rey surveyed it in her hands, turning it over carefully, at once planning out how she would disassemble it the next chance she had to learn how it worked. 

_What a strange weapon,_ she thought to herself, and Ben looked over at her as if he heard her. She met his eyes, brows furrowed in question, and then looked back over to the strange man. 

“Give us your credits,” Rey said, sweeping her hand out to him. 

Ben looked at the man and then back at her, eyebrows raised, as if impressed. 

“Credits?” the man asked, an oddly vacant expression on his face and his eyes glazed over. 

The question caught Rey off-guard. She looked at the man, her eyes narrowing slightly. 

“Credits-- you know--”

The man continued to stare blankly at her and did not respond. 

“What type of currency do you use here?” Ben asked slowly, almost curiously. 

“Oh, you mean money? Cash? Here…” the man said, his eyes focusing briefly, and he reached into his back pocket.

“It’s my wallet-- it has some cash and _credit_ _cards_ if that’s what you wanted,” he said, then handed it over to Rey, who accepted it tentatively. The strange, glazed over look returned to his eyes, and he had a gentle smile on his face. 

Ben watched the man, a deep intensity beginning to shadow over his eyes. He glanced over at Rey, who sat looking at the man’s wallet with a questioning look on her face. Ben turned back to the man and entered his mind once more, this time, he was searching for an answer. After a moment or so, Ben halted his search, and then addressed the man a final time. 

“You will forget what happened here. You will fall asleep and wake up a few hours from now, not knowing what happened to your weapon, coat or--wallet.”

“Yes,” the man replied as if hypnotized. 

“Now sleep,” Ben said, then brought up his hand in another sweep, forcing the man to fall into a deep slumber. In a blink the man collapsed heavily to the ground, landing face up with his head resting in a muddy patch of grass, snoring loudly.

***

Rey and Ben briskly retreated down the hill, heading towards a paved path that appeared to lead deeper into the park. They cast glances at the people they passed and several stared back, though many ignored them completely. As they meandered through the park, they saw from afar a long stretch of paved roads that bordered and ran parallel to the large garden where they strolled. They watched in wonder as strange, noisy vehicles in varying shapes and sizes moved very slowly down the road. From the road and surrounding area emitted a cacophony of sounds, of screeching and a blaring of alarms, of various engine noises which droned over the occasional shouting of the vehicle’s drivers. 

Rey was watching the vehicles moving, and with a start realized that none hovered in the air. Everything hugged the ground, moving on circular black wheels that occasionally wailed with friction when a vehicle stopped abruptly. Rey slowed her walking and then stopped as she scanned the road and its occupants, her eyes searching and growing wide in alarm. 

“Ben...I don’t see any spacecraft...anywhere,” she whispered to him.

Ben, who stood alongside her did not answer at first, then sighed deeply through his nose as he followed her gaze. 

“About that...there are none here, Rey.”

Rey stiffened for a moment, then turned to face him. 

“ _What_?!” she cried out, her panic rising. 

“From what I gathered...this world...is not that advanced. They have all sorts of terranean vehicles, and ships that fly around the planet. They call them airplanes. The spacecraft they _do have_ which allows them to travel off of their planet...well...let’s just say they haven’t made it very far. Their manned craft have only reached the nearest satellite.”

“How do you know all this? Oh...You looked into that man’s mind?” Rey asked, her voice rising slightly. 

“Yes….and there’s something else.”

“What?”

“This world, these people, have never made contact outside their planet...outside their star system.”

Rey looked at him in disbelief, a thousand thoughts turning over in her mind. 

“You mean, we’re stuck here?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Rey looked down and then reached up to hold her head in her hands, shaking it back and forth. 

“I think I need to sit down,” she said. 

Ben gazed at her, a look of quiet understanding falling over his face. 

He rested his hand on her shoulder and guided her towards a nearby bench that sat underneath a tree that was blooming with vibrant pink flowers, and they sat down. For several minutes they sat in silence as a light breeze stirred around them, occasionally raining down soft petals upon them. Rey sniffed and took out the man’s wallet, looking it over before opening it to pull out its contents, including several rectangular-shaped pieces of a sturdy type of plastic material. 

“Ben, there’s something I noticed. Look.”

Rey handed him a card that bore the image of the man they encountered, along with lettering which was not Galactic Basic Standard, the lettering commonly used across the galaxy. It was lettering, however, that Rey recognized.

“It...looks a lot like the High Galactic Standard letters, does it not?” she asked Ben quietly as he turned the card over with his long slender fingers. 

“It does...” he replied, his voice tinged with wonder. 

“Ben, I’ve spent my whole life studying the galaxy. You know all the systems within it, you’ve been all over the galaxy yourself. We both know there is no place in the galaxy that is like this one. Not at all. Something...is _off_ about all this.”

Ben shifted his eyes towards the skyline, thinking. Rey watched him, and something powerful within her stirred. His eyes flicked back over to hers, heavy in their intensity, as they always had been, yet somehow encompassing, enveloping. He reached his hand out to hers, gripping both of them with a gentle squeeze. 

“Don’t worry, Rey. We’ll figure a way out of this, _together_.”

Rey felt her face grow hot. 

She steadied her breathing, but could not help the red flush that crept over her skin. He held her gaze as if considering her, and his eyes dropped to her lips. The sight made her breath hitch and he looked up as if he heard, his eyes locking with hers. 

“Are you hungry?” she blurted out.

A faint smile crept along Ben’s lips. It was a strange sight to see him smile, and it pulled at the core of her. 

“Yes, yes let’s find something to eat.” 

Rey looked back down at her hands, where his hand still gripped hers. She squeezed the wallet, the material leathery and spongy. 

“We just need to figure out this currency system,” she said and moved to open the wallet once again. 

Rey pulled out a greenish bill that was of a paper-like material, worn and softened with use. It had a number inscribed on the bill, a _50,_ along with that familiar lettering, which across the top spelled: 

“The United States of America.” Rey read aloud. 

She looked at Ben in wonder, shaking her head. He said nothing, only returned her gaze.

“I’ve never heard of it,” she murmured. 

“Neither have I….” Ben began, then breathed in deeply before resuming. 

“I don’t think we’re in _our_ galaxy anymore, Rey,” Ben finished, and looked up to watch an elderly couple shuffle by, their matching pink and blue outfits swishing loudly with each movement. 

Rey looked at him for a moment, and then looked away, back towards the strangely dressed couple and the unfamiliar landscape which still held so much mystery to them. She closed her eyes and reached out through the Force for anything, for answers or a sense of direction, but there was nothing. All that she could sense was the Force surrounding herself and the pulsating presence of Ben, her dyad. 

As she sat focusing, Ben watched her. Despite everything that was unanswered, and despite all that was new and strange surrounding them, he found he could not look away from Rey. There were a thousand things he wanted to tell her, he remembered telling her once, in a vision, in a dream. It was as true then as it was now, and his heart ached at the thought that they would now have the chance to talk about it all. He smiled to himself at that, and when Rey finally opened her eyes, she found Ben waiting there patiently, regarding her with a look on his face that made her heart stir. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. The Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trapped on the lonely, isolated planet of Earth, Rey and Ben venture further into their new adventure. A mysterious voice in the wind and a teenaged girl with an inexplicable connection to the pair await on the path that lies ahead.

A vibrantly dressed young woman with indigo-colored hair and tinted spectacles sat at a bench, furiously tapping away at a small, handheld device that she clutched in front of her face. Her fingernails were painted a blood-red color, which was the same shade as the color that stained her lips. Her mouth was closed but moving as the woman was eating, or rather, chewing something in a vigorous rhythm. In her nose was a dainty silver jeweled stud that gleamed in the morning sunlight. Rey could not help but fix her eyes on the girl as she and Ben walked side by side up the paved path. On their left, off to the side of the walkway, stood a large yellow and black cart, where a small cluster of people waited in a loosely formed queue. The rich mixture of smells that wafted from the vendor was mouthwatering and made Rey’s stomach rumble; it smelled of sweetbreads or cakes of some sort, as well as a powerful, earthy scent that resembled caf. 

The indigo-haired woman took notice of the pair as they approached, looked Rey up and down, raising her eyebrows, glanced over at Ben with pronounced indifference, then returned her gaze to her device. Noticing the woman’s movements, Rey averted her eyes away and towards the path ahead of her. She already felt exposed as it was, with her blaster and lightsaber stashed away in her pack, out of reach. Ben had suggested that she put her weapons away, at least for now, and Rey knew he was right. It appeared that no one carried weapons openly on this bizarre planet, so it was best to follow suit unless they wanted to draw further attention to themselves. Rey peered up to look at Ben as they walked and found that his face was locked in concentration.

“There” he said simply, and nodded his head towards the cart as he slowed his stride. “It looks like we’ll find something to eat at that stand.”

“It smells...amazing…” Rey said and slowed to a halt, closing her eyes for a moment. She paused and took in the scents all at once, a small smile forming on her face. When she opened her eyes she saw that Ben had stopped beside her and was watching her. In the morning light the small freckles that were scattered across her nose seemed to shine, and even after their tribulations from the night before, and earlier that morning, the young woman practically radiated energy. Rey was absolutely beautiful, Ben thought, though she most certainly did not realize it. Rey looked back at Ben, squinting, her coppery eyes glittering with mirth.

“What is it?” Rey asked.

Ben hesitated for a moment, then spoke, his voice heavy and soft.

“I’ll tell you later,” he said, then moved to look in the direction of the cart.

As Rey watched Ben turn away, a breath of wind blew past them and stirred Rey’s hair. A faint, eerie voice whispered, just on the edge of her hearing.

_Ah...there you are._

“What?” Rey whispered under her breath, turning in the direction of the voice. There was nothing there, save for the path and the occasional passer-by. 

“Rey? Is something wrong?” Ben asked, immediately sensing her confusion. 

“Did you hear that?” she replied, turning back to meet his eyes. 

“Hear what? What was it?”

Rey turned back around to look behind her, scanning the faces of the people who walked by, yet all looked ahead, disinterested in her, and set on their individual paths.  
“I thought I heard…” Rey began, then placed her hand to her temple. 

“No, nevermind...I’m probably just tired. That...place took a lot out of me.” she managed to say breathily, remembering with a rush what happened only the day before. All of a sudden she felt dizzy and unbalanced on her feet. 

“Why don’t you sit?” Ben said, reaching out his hands to help steady her. 

“You need to eat--I’ll get you food,” he said, concern shadowing his face.

“Thank you,” Rey said, warmed by his offer, and she walked the short distance to a small table which sat nestled between two shrubs. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ben asked, and extended his hand out to her cheek, brushing over it briefly with a gentle graze of his fingertips. 

Rey felt a rush of sensation at his touch, like a surge of energy emitting from the source where they made a physical connection. She felt the skin of her face flushing and looked down, fumbling for her pack. 

“Yeah--I think so...” she said, and from the worn bag pulled out the wallet and handed it to Ben. “Here you go.”

“Oh right, thank you,” he remarked, taking the wallet from her and regarding her with a pensive look. “I’ll be right back,” he said, and after taking one more moment to sweep his eyes over her face, he turned to walk towards the vendor. 

As he strode away Rey watched him. It felt strange doing this, attempting to blend in on this odd, backwater planet. It was surreal also, being with Ben. It felt impossible and thoroughly implausible, yet here they were, alive and together. And what was that voice she had heard? Had it been her imagination, her fatigue, or perhaps something else, something sinister? All these unanswered questions made Rey’s head swim. 

Here they were in this unfamiliar world, aliens of a sort to this planet that knew nothing of the galaxy Rey and Ben called their home. Inwardly, Rey fought against a wave of anxiousness that threatened to wash over her. Not knowing how they would get back home was a daunting thought, and embarking on this journey together, with Ben, was something she never anticipated. 

_Home._ The word made Rey pause. What was home, now, anyway? What would be home to Ben when they returned? Would the Resistance ever accept him, the former Supreme Leader of the First Order, after everything? Would it matter, to her at least, whether they accepted him or not?

Rey allowed her mind to drift back to her memories of all that happened between her and Ben, all of the anger and pain, misunderstandings and compassion and...that force that was stronger than anything else, which flowed like a current through the both of them, ceaselessly drawing them in towards one another despite any distance that lay between them. It was the power of their dyad, but also an unstated something else that existed between them. There was so much yet to be said, so much to draw out and lay bare. Rey knew there would be time for them to talk as soon as they were able to find lodging. Yet, it was utterly overwhelming and daunting thinking about where to even begin. 

Growing up, Rey always found it difficult to voice her feelings as she often hid them away throughout the long, lonely years on Jakku. Back then, she thought that keeping to herself would ultimately aid in her survival. In the time before she met Finn, she never had any close friends, save for the select few who ended up passing on or inexplicably vanished. Though through their adventures she became close to Finn, Rose, and Poe, they never could truly understand the weight of the burden she carried. She loved her friends, but the sharp ache of realizing that they would never understand what she suffered at the hands of Palpatine would never fade away. Ben, Rey realized, was the only person in her life who truly knew what she felt, and who she was. He knew all too well that eternal clash between the dark and the light that churned within her, for he lived through it himself. Finally, after all the years of lonesomeness they lived through while outside forces did everything to keep them apart, the void that haunted them both for so long would be filled. It was something Rey had been afraid would never happen, back when she thought and feared Ben was gone for good. Yet through it all, here he was, her dyad and partner in all of this, on a mission to retrieve food for her, of all things. 

In all her days of scraping together an existence and daydreaming of a better life, she never imagined she would end up where she was at that moment, with all the endless possibilities that still stood before her, together with the one who was her other half, in this mysterious world. Pushing back the lingering anxiousness that gnawed at the fringes of her thoughts, she took in a deep gulp of the crisp morning air and allowed herself this small moment of respite. 

***

When Ben returned, his face was fixed with a look that hinted of amusement, and in his broad arms he was balancing cartons filled with what appeared to be square-shaped, oddly-textured cakes. In his right hand he held a covered container of the caf-like beverage, while in the other he held a translucent container of what was most-assuredly water. Rey watched him, letting her inner ponderings slip away as he gingerly set the items on the table in front of her. Rey’s stomach rumbled at the sight of the cakes, but she was also desperately thirsty and eyed the container of water. Ben handed it to her without a word, and she took it from him with a small nod.

“Thank you,” Rey said and looked at the container with marked curiosity. She turned the clear, flexible bottle in her hands, looking it over with fascination at all the wording that was on a container that held what looked to be simply water. She held the bottle upright, then took the cap in her hand and twisted it, chuckling at the crackling of the seal as she broke it. 

“How clever!” she exclaimed a little loudly, and at that moment a teenaged boy who was passing by overheard Rey, gave his friend a look and mouthed the word _What??_ and together they laughed as they continued down the walkway. 

Rey did not notice their exchange, and after a moment of assessing the liquid, which included taking a precautionary sniff, she took a long draw from the bottle. The cool, refreshing water was the best she had tasted in a long while; absent was the metallic tang that tainted the recycled water she had become accustomed to drinking onboard the Falcon. After taking a few more gulps of the water, she handed the bottle to Ben, who took a few draws himself. 

Rey surveyed the small containers of food that Ben had spread out across the table. There were three types of cakes in all, each square-shaped with an indented pattern, and thickly layered with different combinations of toppings. One cake was piled with a mound of what appeared to be various types of sliced fruit, red and yellow, along with a fluffy, white topping, while another cake was smothered with what appeared to be a simple syrup. The last cake was topped with a twisted, crispy, and oily meat that carried an aroma that made Rey’s stomach groan loudly with ravenousness. She had not felt this hungry in a long while, and the sharp pain jogged painful memories for her of a time when rations were all she had and sometimes there were none. It took all the restraint she had left to not tear into the boxes and feast upon the contents, damn the risks or lack of propriety. 

Yet, Rey knew they were on an unknown planet, and therefore it was probably best to take things slow, especially ingesting things from a world they knew very little about. She picked up the cake with the fruit, eyeing it carefully. 

“Do you want me to try it first, just in case?” Ben asked, his tone instantly serious and pointed. 

Rey looked at him for a moment, considering, then shook her head.

“No, that’s not necessary,” she replied, and with that she took a tentative bite at first, then a larger, more committed bite, chewing thoughtfully. 

“How is it?” Ben asked, his eyebrows raised. 

“It’s absolutely delicious...and incredibly sweet,” she said, her eyes watering. 

Ben took one of the plastic utensils that were stuffed into the wad of napkins the vendor handed him and using it plunged it into the pastry with the meat. He took a speculative bite and chewed for a moment, turning it over in his mouth.

At that, Rey burst out laughing.

Ben looked at her incredulously, shook his head, and a question flickered like a caress through her mind.

_What?_

She continued smiling, though his voice in her mind gave her goosebumps and sent a warm shiver down her spine.

“You’re very disquisitive, you know that?” Rey said to him aloud, squinting her eyes at him. 

“Disquisitive...is that right?” he said with a playful gleam in his eye.

Rey nodded back, studying him. A moment of silence passed, and a light breeze stirred around them, tousling their hair. 

“What should we do now?” Rey asked, letting the wind carry her voice. 

Ben looked at her and considered his thoughts before answering.

“I think I’d like to find out more about this place, get a better sense of where we are, exactly. Maybe there’s a way off of this planet that we don’t know about yet. We just need to figure out--”

“--We need to access one of their datapads…” Rey cut in. “Wait here, I have an idea,” she said and jumped up from the table. 

Rey trotted down the path and over to the young woman with the indigo hair from before who was still seated at the bench near the food vendor. The woman looked up at Rey in puzzlement as she approached and opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word Rey swept her hand out towards the woman. 

“You will give me that device you are holding.”

The woman stilled for a moment, her eyes wide and mouth agape. A small, pink object fell from her mouth and into her lap, yet she did not appear to take notice. 

After an awkward pause, the woman handed the device to Rey, her eyes glazed over and glassy. 

“I will give you the device I am holding. Here you go,” she said, her voice impassive and monotone. 

Rey took it and without another word walked away from the girl and back towards Ben, where he sat at the table, looking at her intently as if captivated.

“That was easy,” she said nonchalantly with a small smile and sat back down at the table. “Here you are,” she said and handed the device to Ben, who took it with a grin that brightened his eyes. 

Rey's heart leaped at that, and she smiled back at him, meeting his eyes for a brief moment. Then, without missing a beat, she resumed eating the delectable meal, pausing only to take a sip of the caf-drink. It was piping hot, smoky, and filled her with a warmth that spread throughout her body.

“Fascinating.” Ben murmured as he ran his long fingers along the face of the instrument.

“Their technology is not as underdeveloped as I initially thought...the engineering is actually rather sophisticated…” he said, his voice dropping off as he inspected the device, moving it this way and that in his hands. 

Down the path, the woman with the indigo hair woke from the daze that had enveloped her after Rey left. For a moment she sat there, blinking and stunned, unaware of where she was. Then, looking down at her empty hands, realization dawned upon her, and she shot up from the bench in a panic and frantically began to look all around the bench and the ground underneath. After a few frustrating moments of futile searching, the woman gave up and turned in the opposite direction of the pair, walking slowly while scanning the ground, confusion blooming across her face. 

“It looks to have a well-organized interface, it shouldn't take long to access their network if they have one…” Ben’s voice dropped off as he continued to look over the device. 

“So...we’ll access their network in the hopes that we can find our way out of here. In the meantime though….” Rey began, carefully thinking over her words.

“I think...we should find a place to stay. At least until we get our bearings.” 

“You’re right,” Ben said, nodding, “Sleeping outside here is not an option.”

Ben then looked down at his sweater, the color in his face fading slightly, and Rey realized with a sudden sadness that those were the same clothes he wore when he died, not too long ago. 

“Perhaps we’ll find some clothes first, and then a place to stay, at least while we figure out what to do from here,” Rey said, attempting to mask her emotions with cheer in her voice. The memory of that fateful moment passed between them, though they spoke no words. They did not need to. That final act had solidified forever the connection they shared, his selfless sacrifice so that she could live, so that the galaxy could have her. More than anything Rey wanted to tell Ben how she felt, about him, and their bond.

_Soon_ , she told herself. _Yes, soon, we’ll have time._

When they finished eating, stomachs satisfied and their energy restored, they set off in the direction of the closest fortress-like buildings that lined the broad edges of the park, daunting and scraping the sky and scattered clouds overhead. The path that stretched past the food vendor led to a broad sidewalk that bordered the black-paved road with the noisy terrain-vehicles. The crisp morning air was warming in the bright, clear sunlight, and the gritty, complex scents of the bustling metropolis wafted over them. 

In all her travels across the galaxy, Rey had never beheld a city such as this, teeming with people so freely wandering, with no threat of the First Order or any combination of imminent danger. As they walked, veering left to continue along the sidewalk, she surveyed the people, the mixture of ages and appearances, of clothing and indications of wealth and of impoverishment and everything in-between, all mingling together in a steady stream. It was bizarre only seeing those who looked like Ben and her; missing were the blobbish Crolutes, the yellow-furred Frigosians, the Abednedos, the Bothans, and the Wookiees. While there was unique fauna she spied during their walk, including friendly-looking creatures with four legs, some furry and some with short hair, which strode alongside their companions on lengths of rope, it appeared that the only overtly sentient species here were the ones who looked like her and Ben. It gave Rey an unsettling feeling, no matter how she attempted to wrap her head around the thought. 

As they walked, following the flow of people, something caught Rey’s eye, and she looked over towards the buildings that towered across from them. Many of the edifices flickered with colorful words and flashing advertiscreens that portrayed a seemingly random assortment of products and attractive, neatly dressed people with wide smiles and unnatural poses. 

“Strange...isn’t it? These people, so isolated from the rest of the universe. Despite all their capabilities, all they can fixate on is themselves and their possessions.” Ben said, peering over towards the screens. 

“I was no different....” Rey replied, casting her eyes ahead of her. From the edge of her vision she could see Ben look in her direction, but she didn’t meet his eyes. 

“I spent my life on Jakku constantly scouring for the next thing that would help keep me alive, that piece of salvage that would ensure my survival, if only for a short while longer. It was all I could focus on...well...that and seeing my family again,” she paused for a moment and took in a breath, pushing aside the memory and determining how best to formulate her next words.

“But...I had my AT-AT, my speeder, and my workbench,” she laughed to herself, remembering, then continued. 

“...and my old rebel helmet and the nightblossoms.” She held off mentioning the Captain Raeh doll she cherished above all things, though she knew full well that Ben was aware of Captain Raeh. He had sorted through her childhood memories, after all. It was something she found to be a bit embarrassing and tried not to think about it. 

“Those things...they weren’t much, but they were mine, and they helped to overcome the loneliest of times _._ Sometimes...all you have is yourself, or what little you possess, to help you survive each day.” At that Rey stopped herself, afraid that she was not making much sense. 

Ben took Rey’s hand in his own and slowed their pace to a halt. He looked at Rey with an expression that made her catch her breath. 

“Rey, you will never be alone again. I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” he said, his voice laden with sorrow and resolve, and Rey looked up at him in a way he had seen once before, right before she kissed him the first time back on Exegol. 

Rey's eyes stung with tears that threatened to fall. She opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by the high pitched sound of metallic screeching and the startled gasps and cries of people nearby. They both swiveled towards the sound in time to see a girl riding a rolling, flat contraption narrowly avoid getting hit by a fast-moving vehicle which careened out of the way, blaring a siren. On her current trajectory, she would not be so lucky in her encounter with the next vehicle that approached, and it was clear she would not be able to stop in time. Despite the near-miss, Rey realized with a start, the girl did not seem to notice. Instead, her gaze was trained forward, directly on Rey and Ben; she looked as if she was in shock to see them.

Together as if in complete synchronicity, Rey and Ben bolted forward, racing along the corner of the sidewalk and into the intersection, where the fast-approaching transport and girl were destined to meet. Leaping forward, Rey and Ben both reached her the split second before the vehicle made contact, extending out their arms just in time as its front struck against something solid in front of it at full speed. The operator had no time to react or even hit his brakes. 

At the moment of contact a fierce blast resounded from the scene with enough power to crack the road and split the glass in the buildings around them. Witnesses would describe what proceeded as all happening in slow motion. The force of the impact launched the shattered vehicle’s tail upwards into the air, flipping it clear over the huddled forms of the couple and the girl. In a scene that defied all logic and physics, the bits of shrapnel and glass that exploded out at the point where they crouched violently struck the very edges of their forms, but no further. Rey and Ben, shielding the girl with their bodies and their arms extended, cried out with exertion as they lifted their arms over their heads, following the jilted path of the broken vessel as it barreled up and over them as if being lifted. Finally, with a loud _whoosh_ and a crunch of metal, the vehicle landed on the ground behind them, upside down and wrecked, but for the most part intact. 

As they lowered their arms, Ben and Rey sat there, still crouched over the girl, breathing hard and looking at each other in astonishment. For a short moment an eerie hush fell over the crowd that surrounded them, then gradually people began to cry out and shout and rush over to pull out the driver of the overturned transport, who was bruised but alive. However, the bystanders stopped short of approaching the three of them as they sat, shaken and trembling on the ground, still reeling from what happened. 

Her heart hammering in her chest, Rey turned to look at the girl, who squatted behind her, frozen in place, her hands grasping the top of her head and her cropped, curly black hair. Tears were streaming down her face. She looked to be no older than thirteen or fourteen. She had a small nick on her cheek where a piece of glass streaked by, but otherwise she was unharmed. The contraption she rode, however, suffered a more tragic fate. In the impact it had disintegrated completely, sending splintered shreds of wood into the air, some of which rained down upon them like snow. 

Rey reached out and put her hand on the girl’s shoulder, gripping it firmly. 

“Hey there, it’s okay. You’re safe now,” she said, and at that the girl let go of her hair and lifted her tear-streaked face up to look at Rey. 

“ _What are you?_ ” she asked, her voice shaky, afraid. 

The question caught Rey off-guard; she was not certain exactly how to answer her. Instead, she smiled at the girl and shook her head.

Ben looked back at them. He was still kneeling with sweat and dust streaked across his face like war-paint. At that moment, to Rey he looked like a warrior.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice rough and eyes darting back and forth between the girl and Rey. 

Rey nodded and the girl looked over at Ben, taking him in and eyes widening, then she nodded and swallowed hard. 

“Uh-huh.”

Rey looked from the girl back to Ben, and without a word they both stood up. Rey reached her hand down to the girl, who eyed the young woman’s hand suspiciously. 

“Can you stand?” Rey said, as gently as she could manage. 

“Yeah...I think so,” the girl returned, then reached out for Rey’s hand and gripped it firmly, pulling herself up. When she stood, a young man approached them. He was very tall and built like a mountain, with ruddy hair covered by an oddly shaped red, white, and blue cap. His excitement was brimming and close to spilling over. 

“How did you do that?! Did y’all see that? That was some magician shit!” he cried out, loudly, and the scattered others around him nodded in agreement. 

“Wait!?--Are you filming a movie??” the man blurted out, his eyes flashing, then looked around him as if in awe. A cacophony of voices, exclamations, and questions erupted all at once around the scene as the debris around them began to settle. 

“ _What was that back there?!_ ”

_“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!!”_

“Are you guys okay? Is the little girl alright?”

“That was impossible. _Impossible!_ ”

Rey looked over to Ben, her eyes signaling to him that it was time to go. He dipped his head in agreement, then looked back to the girl who still stood nearby, shaken and in shock from the incredible, unbelievable event she somehow survived. 

“Please be careful next time,” Ben said to the girl, his voice tinged with exhaustion. He turned to move away from the amassing crowd, who parted to let him pass, scrutinizing him with a mixture of curiosity and terror. Some held devices in their hands and pointed them at Rey, Ben, the girl, and the busted vehicle, narrating what happened as if communicating via a holorecorder. After casting a brief glance back towards the girl, then the small crowd, Rey turned away to follow Ben. In all the confusion of the moment, no one dared to try to stop them or run after them as they trotted away. 

“So much for lying low,” Rey uttered to Ben breathlessly as they moved, heading in the direction of a wide alley where they could make an easy escape. 

“Yes, new clothes indeed...” she continued, letting her voice trail off as she glanced down at her shirt which was ripped on the side, exposing part of her torso, and covered in a thick layer of soot and dirt. Ben let out a deep breath through his nose as he jogged and nodded in agreement. Rey looked over at him, sensing his tension. He seemed distracted, distressed. A bead of sweat cut across his dirt-stain face, leaving a streak like a scar. 

As the pair fled the site of the wreck, the girl on the road watched them, still disoriented and feeling as if she had just been roused from a deep sleep. Onlookers trickled in closer, encircling her, and asked if she was hurt and if she needed an ambulance, their questions overlapping and overwhelming her senses. She stood blinking, unable to utter a word except for her name, which was Aadya. An inexplicably dizzying sensation stirred in her head, swirling and making her mind tingle.

Aadya closed her eyes, still processing her memory of what happened, and the Force that flowed through her awoke.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic, please excuse any mistakes! I did my best to stay true to SW canon and the descriptions of the characters, locations, and planets. I am a Reylo and hope one day we'll see Ben Solo again. I wrote this story because I believe it is possible to bring him back. Rey and Ben Solo deserve a happy ending. 
> 
> I hope you like it! :)
> 
> I love music and it helps me focus my thoughts and write. This is the playlist I created for this fic: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7zXYB1UJzGQVemqvlTKEEY?si=Owc12L02QAKU8KVy0B7Syw


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